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Calling all short story writers! We’ve pulled together a list of short story competitions, awards and prizes for you to have on your radar. To the best of our knowledge, these competitions run every year, but do make sure to check with each of them directly for everything you need to know before submitting your work. Short Story Competitions. Aesthetica Creative Writing Award This competition is run by the prestigious art magazine every year, writers can enter short stories up to 2,000 words. Find out more here. Anthology Short Story Competition Anthology Short Story Competition is open to original and previously unpublished short stories in the English language by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. There is no restriction on theme or style. Stories submitted must not exceed the maximum of 1,500 words. Get all the details here. Bath Short Story Award Launched in 2012 the International Bath Short Story Award has rapidly become established as one of the prominent short story competitions in the UK receiving over fifteen hundred world-wide entries each year and producing a yearly anthology of short-listed and winning authors. Head to their website to find out everything you need to know. BBC National Short Story Award This prize is run yearly and only open to authors with a prior record of publishing creative work in the UK. Stories up to 8,000 words are accepted and may be submitted by the author or by their agent. Shortlisted stories are awarded a prize of £600. Get the full details here. Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize Run by the well-known and beloved London bookshop, the Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize welcomes entries of original short fiction between 1000 and 5000 words. The winner will receive £1,000 and 12 shortlisted writers will be included in an anthology. Find out more here. Bridport Short Story Competition           With one of the largest cash prizes for a short story competition, the Bridport Short Story prize has helped many writers launch careers and achieve success. Details here. Creators of Justice Literary Awards The Creators of Justice Literary Awards is an annual, international contest featuring works which highlight the struggle for human rights and social justice across the world. Writers can submit one poem, essay, or short story on an annual theme. More here. Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction Run by indie publisher Comma Press, this prize is open to both published and unpublished writers and aims to seek out the best established and up and coming voices in the form. Find out everything you need to know here. Inclusive Voices Short Story Competition     A unique competition, the Inclusive Voices Short Story Competition asks writers for stories up to 550 words and \'should feature a character with a print disability\' which aligns with their mission as a charity who have been providing audiobooks to people who struggle to read print for fifty years. More here. Mairtín Crawford Awards For the Mairtín Crawford Awards, both published and unpublished writers are invited to submit a short story of up to 2,500 words for the short story award, with the only stipulation being that they have not yet published a full collection of poetry, short stories, or a novel. Details here. Manchester Fiction Prize The Manchester Fiction Prize is open internationally to anyone aged 16 or over (there is no upper age limit) and awards a cash prize of £10,000 to the writer of the best short story submitted. Mogford Prize for Food and Drink Writing  A unique competition, the Mogford Prize for Food and Drink Writing is an annual short story competition open to writers across the globe. The prize awards £10,000 to the best short story that has food and drink at its heart. Head to their website to find out more. Mslexia\'s Short Story Competition Run by the magazine for women-writers, Mslexia\'s annual competition is for unpublished complete short fiction of up to 3,000 words. Get the full details here. Rhys Davies Short Story Competition The Rhys Davies Short Story Competition is a distinguished national writing competition for writers born or living in Wales. The first prize is £1,000 and publication in a short story anthology to be published by Parthian Books. More here. Seán Ó Faoláin International Short Story Competition The competition is open to original, unpublished and un-broadcast short stories in the English language of 3,000 words or fewer. The story can be on any subject, in any style, by a writer of any nationality, living anywhere in the world. Winner gets €2,000, featured reading at the Cork International Short Story Festival (with four-night hotel stay and full board) and publication in Southword. Find out more here. The Aurora Prize for Writing The Aurora Prize is a national writing competition, seeking outstanding new writing in short fiction and poetry run by Writing East Midlands. More here. The Bedford Competition Open internationally, there are prizes totalling £4,600 and all winning and shortlisted stories and poems are published as an anthology. The Bristol Short Story Prize This is an annual international writing competition open to all published and unpublished, UK and non-UK-based writers. The Commonwealth Short Story Prize The prize is open to all Commonwealth citizens aged 18 and over entering a story of between 2,500 and 5,000 words. The regional winners receive £2,500 and the overall winner receives a total of £5,000. The winning stories are published online by Granta and in a special print collection by Paper + Ink. The Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize Galley Beggar Press\' mission is to \'support talented new writers, and to demonstrate the wonderful things that can be done with the short story form.\' Writers supported by the indie publisher\'s short story prize have gone on to achieve amazing things, such as signing with agents and securing book deals as a result of taking part in the prize. Galley Beggar Press have added that their \'winners have been profiled in the Bookseller, the Irish Times, Guardian and elsewhere.\' Co-run by one of our brilliant Ultimate Novel Writing Course tutors Sam Jordison, we\'re big fans of this prize. Get more details about the prize here. The Moth Prizes The Moth Magazine runs an annual short story prize open to anyone from anywhere in the world, as long as their writing is original and previously unpublished. Details here. The Royal Society of Literature V. S. Pritchett Short Story Prize The annual prize of £1,000 goes to the best unpublished short story of the year. The winning entry is also published in Prospect magazine and the RSL Review. Check their website for more information. The Society of Authors\' Awards The Society of Authors runs annual awards, which are open to writers at all stages of their careers. Among them is The ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award for a short story (applicants need to have had at least one short story accepted for publication); and The McKitterick Prize, which is given annually to an author over the age of 40 for a first novel, published or unpublished. All details here. Here are our top tips for entering writing competitions. Write, write, write. Then put your writing away in a drawer. Time spent away from your story can give you a chance to return with fresh eyes. This is crucial as it allows you to see the story the way a reader will. The next best thing is to... Share your writing with a trusted writer friend. We say \'writer\' friend and not friends or family for a reason: constructive criticism is what you need most before you send your work out into the world. Sharing your story with someone who cares about you (and might not be a writer themselves) might only elicit good feedback. It\'s great to have a nurturing support system, but at this stage, you want to focus on making your writing as good as it can be. Once you have submitted your work, follow any suggestions the competition might have. This could mean adding their email address to your contacts so any emails from them won\'t be sent to spam or it could be making a note of key upcoming dates. Some competitions require longlisted and shortlisted writers to send additional words if they reach the next round. Before you submit your work to a writing competition, make sure you have checked the following. The competition deadline. Competitions typically have strict deadlines to submit your work, make sure to put a reminder in your diary so you don\'t miss out. The submission guidelines. Competitions tend to have specific guidance on how to enter your work. Read them carefully and make sure to follow the rules as detailed. Remember, if you have any questions, the competitions are usually happy to answer them, assuming you have left plenty of time before the deadline. The terms and conditions of entry. Competitions will have stipulations around who can enter, make sure you\'ve checked you are eligible before potentially wasting time submitting and/or entry free. That\'s it from us, if you do enter any of these competitions we wish you the very best of luck.

After attending our Festival of Writing, Jo walked away the winner of our Friday Night Live competition and an agented writer! After publishing several books, we caught up with Jo to take a trip down memory lane. Hi Jo, thank you so much for taking the time to chat to us. Since joining us on the festival stage, winning the Friday Night Live competition and meeting your now agent, you’ve published three books. Can you take us back to that night and tell us a little bit about your experience? It feels like such a long time ago! I’d heard Joanna Cannon talk about winning Friday Night Live and how it launched her career, and that inspired me to have a go but, ten days before the festival, I was rushed into hospital for abdominal surgery and told not to travel, but it was such a great opportunity that I ignored all medical advice (I don’t advise this, folks). I was shortlisted for Best Opening Chapter and Friday Night Live, and you can’t turn down a chance like that! I was so nervous that I was sick before going up on stage. I knew absolutely no one there and was in a fair amount of pain, but everyone was so lovely and supportive that I came away from that night with a new writing group, many friends - and an agent! What a whirlwind! How did your writing journey after winning Friday Night Live compare to beforehand? I started writing the book that would become Sticks and Stones in February – seven months before Friday Night Live. I had no deadline and no expectations, and it was glorious! I must have done fifty drafts of my opening chapters because every time I got stuck, I went back and started at the beginning again, so I was really happy with the first third. It was the rest of it that was a problem! Jo Jakeman\'s debut Sticks and Stones, published by Vintage When I signed with my agent (the lovely Imogen Pelham) the ending was still pretty raw, so she helped me work out what I wanted to say. We went back and forth for about six months before she sent it out on submission to editors. Until winning Friday Night Live, my writing was all for me but, from then on, a team was involved – and they all had opinions. There were deadlines and it quickly went from a hobby to a job. I’m not complaining – it was exactly what I’d wanted – but I felt the pressure pretty quickly. I now look at it like I’m getting all this input so we can make the book the best it can be, but back then, I felt like I was clueless. Do you have any advice for writers entering Friday Night Live (or indeed, any competition)? Um, try not to have life-saving surgery in the days before the competition? Seriously, though, preparation is key. Make sure your work is of the highest quality possible. Seek advice from others. Take advantage of courses, read blogs, and practice in front of the mirror or the dog. I recorded myself doing the reading until I was comfortable looking up from my cards long enough to engage with the audience. The London Festival of Writing 2023\'s panel of literary agents. As you were developing your craft, was there anything you found particularly useful on your journey? Goodness, so much. For years I wrote in the metaphorical wilderness with a handful of books on writing. I didn’t let anyone else read my work, I just plodded on. It all changed for me when I started to engage in writing courses and share my work with others. I went to talks by authors and volunteered at my local book festival so I could breathe in the rarefied air of my favourite writers. I soaked up everything they had to say. Surrounding yourself with others who share your excitement for books and writing is invaluable. Were there any surprises along the way? Or perhaps anything you wished you had known earlier, or been prepared for? I wish I’d understood the publishing process better. Or, at all. When my first book came out I felt like an observer. I didn’t know what to expect or how much I could ask for. I assumed that everyone else knew better than me, so I accepted all of the proof-reader\'s extra commas and didn’t push back at titles and book covers I didn’t like. I was so grateful for the opportunity that sometimes I forgot that my opinions were valid. You need a certain amount of knowledge to be comfortable enough to stand your ground. Now I know enough to say, ‘How about we try it this way?’ I lost my confidence a few years back (Covid, poor book sales, changing publishers). I had to remind myself why I write and rediscover my love for it. Honestly, I could talk for hours about this, but I won’t bore you here. I’ll just say that confidence in yourself, and your writing, is the key! Now you’ve been published, is there any advice you would give aspiring authors? Or anything you might have done differently in your journey up to now? Never stop learning, questioning and observing. Read the books, listen to the podcasts, take a course. I’m currently doing an MA in writing for Script and Screen and I am learning so much that will affect the way I write – and structure - books. As I mentioned in my previous answer, confidence is key. The more knowledge and experience you have the easier it is for you feel assured in your writing. The reader needs to feel that they are in safe hands. Thank you so much Jo, can you let us know what are you working on right now? One Bad Apple is coming out on 19th September 2024. It’s a slight change in direction for me. It\'s less psychological suspense and more of a straight-up whodunnit about the murder of a headmaster at a prestigious boys’ school. Writing about pushy, competitive parents with secrets to hide and reputations to uphold has been so much fun. I’m currently finishing my edits for The Vanishing Act, which will be released in September 2025. I can’t say much about that yet, but I am very proud of this one and loved writing it.

Have you heard? Innovative digital-first publishers are changing the landscape of the industry. Any savvy writer on the lookout for a way to get their books into the hands of readers would benefit from keeping their eye on this exciting new frontier. We\'ve put together everything you need to know about digital-first publishing, including which publishers are accepting submissions. What is a digital publisher? A digital publisher is a publisher like any other, but they tend to bring books to market in purely digital formats, like eBooks and audiobooks. A digital-first publisher works slightly differently. Whilst they tend to prioritise digital formats, they also publish books in physical formats such as hardbacks and paperbacks. What\'s the difference between a digital-first publisher and a traditional publisher? The clue is in the name! A traditional publisher (like one of the Big Four: Penguin, Hachette, HarperCollins and MacMillan) tend to prioritise publishing a book in a physical format (like a hardback or a paperback) over other formats, though there is usually a variety of formats available for each of their titles titles. The important word here is prioritise. Ask any published author and they\'ll tell you that marketing and publicity can be instrumental in a book\'s success. While a traditional publisher might put their efforts into selling physical copies, there are other successful ways publishers sell books. Digital-first publishers prioritise selling digital formats (which have grown in popularity in recent years, especially in certain genres), this means their business model is slightly different to what a trade publisher usually offers their authors. There is no one size fits all approach and it\'s important for authors to be well-informed of the options available to them. If we take a step back from the nuts and bolts of the industry\'s inner workings, you\'ll find that digital-first publishers aren\'t that different to traditional publishers! In many cases, pre-conceptions about traditional publishing being the more enticing option for authors are often disproved when talking to digital-first published authors about their experience. What are the benefits to working with a digital-first publisher? In short, there are many! If you care about reaching readers, removing barriers that prevent them from getting your book into their hands and the business of book-selling is important to you: digital-first publishing is worth your consideration. For one, digital-first publishers tend to be more open to unsolicited submissions from un-agented authors. That means you don\'t need to be represented by a literary agent to send them your submission! However, many still accept submissions from agents on behalf of their writers. It\'s worth noting that a small number of the digital-first publishers we found were only accepting submissions from agents, but this doesn\'t seem to be the norm. To dig deeper into the benefits of working with a digital-first publisher, we thought we\'d let author and our very own Head of Membership Becca Day talk about her experience being published by Embla, a digital-first imprint of Bonnier Books. Turns out, one of the main benefits is how their fresh approach invests in their authors\' careers. \'The digital first strategy focuses on building your audience. My books were listed as 99p eBooks that were FREE for anyone with Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime. That’s a lot of people getting my books for free. But you know what? I still got paid. The way Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading works is you get paid a (tiny) amount per page read. While the pay per page is tiny, the amount of people you can reach with a publisher who knows what they’re doing is not. Digital first publishers are typically much more ‘on it’ when it comes to advertising, and they have a much bigger budget for advertising because they’re not wasting it on printing costs. My debut has now been read by nearly 1 million people. How NUTS is that? 1 million x a tiny amount = a substantial paycheck.\' - Becca Day, author of THE SECRETS WE BURIED But, what if you still want your books to be published in physical formats - and end up in bookshops? That is an understandable goal, one that many authors share, Becca included. The good news is, Becca\'s books are published in multiple formats, including paperback. Let\'s hear what she has to say about it... \'The reason I suggest digital-first publishing to debut authors is because it’s the perfect jumping off point. It’s a way to build your audience and your readership so that when your books do eventually get into bookstores and you do eventually move to that more traditional publishing model (it took me three books to do it, but I got there) you’ll have that audience who know you and are willing to spend the money to get a hard copy.\' \'And you know what? My books are now in bookstores and I still don’t make nearly as much from paperbacks as I do from eBooks. Not even close. The world is changing.\' These quotes were taken from a blog post Becca wrote about her experience of digital-first publishing, read it in full here. Vanity Publishers and Hybrid Publishers We should probably also include a note about vanity publishers. These guys are the snakes and serpents of publishing. They essentially pretend to be a real publishing company contemplating the commercial publication of your book. Inevitably, however, you’ll be told that the “editorial board” or something other fictional entity decided they couldn’t quite afford the risk of going it alone. So you’ll be invited to spend some quite large sum of money on “partnership publishing”, or something like that. If it smells bad, it is bad. Just say no – with emphasis. If you feel like adding a cuss-word or two when you say so, then we won’t be offended Hybrid publishers are a somewhat cleaner version of the same thing. They’ll ask for money to get you published, but be more candid about likely outcomes. If you encounter honesty and openness, the publisher may well be trustworthy. If you encounter heavy selling and a lack of candour, then avoid, avoid, avoid. How can I find a digital-publisher? Drum roll please... We\'ve pulled together a list of active, reputable digital-first publishers. We\'ve included as much key information as possible about each publisher, from what they publish to whether they accept submissions from un-agented writers, but please be aware that this information is only accurate at the time of writing. Make sure to check with the publisher directly if you have any specific queries about their submission process. Digital-first publishers Below, we\'ve shared a variety of reputable and thriving digital-first publishers. Whilst this list is accurate at time of writing this article, we\'re sure more and more will pop up in the future. If you do spot a new digital-first publisher, let us know by sending us an email. Don\'t forget, before you trust any publisher with your submission, make sure to read our guide on how to spot vanity publishers and hybrid publishers. Got it? Great! Let\'s dig into some digital-first publishers. All of the following tend to publish general fiction (which means they cover most genres) but be sure to check out their websites for specific details about their titles and their submission guidelines. Boldwood Boldwood are one of the most exciting digital-first publishers in the industry. We were lucky enough to be joined by Nia Beynon from Boldwood Books for our Ask A Publisher Anything event. Premium Members can catch up on the replay now. Not a Premium Member? Join now and get access to masterclasses, events, video courses, AgentMatch and so much more. Boldwood accept submissions during specific windows, so make sure to follow them on social media or check their website for any future openings. They publish commercial fiction in all sorts of genres. Avon A commercial fiction division of HarperCollins, Avon publish across multiple genres and often with a digital-first approach. We can\'t find their submission details, but we think it\'s likely they only accept agented submissions. We did find a handy Author Testimonial page on their website that is worth checking out if you are interested in being published by Avon. Bookouture Bookouture is another leading digital-first publisher making change in the industry. We love that they cover most genres in commercial fiction and that their submission guidelines are super clear and easy to follow. Find out more here. Embla Embla publishes our very own Head of Membership Becca Day and so they hold a special place in our hearts. They specialise in commercial adult fiction, covering thrillers like Becca\'s and compelling stories across all popular genres. Head to their website for more. Hera The publisher of our Managing Director Sophie Flynn! Another publisher dear to us at Jericho Writers. Hera specialise in crime and thrillers, romance and sagas, but they publish most popular genres. Agented and un-agented writers can submit to them directly, more details on their website. HQ Digital HG Digital are a leading digital-first imprint of HarperCollins, publishing commercial fiction. We believe HQ Digital accept submissions from un-agented writers. Keep an eye on their submissions page for updates. Joffe Books Joffe are an independent digital-first publisher that boasts bestsellers. They publish across all general fiction genres, but specialise in crime and mysteries. Joffe kindly joined us for a panel event that Premium Members can rewatch here. Joffe accept submissions from un-agented writers, find out more here. One More Chapter A digital-first imprint of HarperCollins, One More Chapter publish \'page-turning\' fiction across most genres and accept submissions from un-agented writers. Find out more about their submission guidelines here. Orion Dash Orion Dash is a digital-first imprint at Orion, part of Hachette. They publish commercial fiction and in their submission guidelines specifically mention that they are looking for women’s fiction, romance, saga, historical, crime and thrillers. Head over to their website for more information. Digital-first publishers by genre It\'s no secret that certain genres seem to thrive in digital spaces. We\'ve compiled digital-first publishers that specialise in their chosen genres. Crime and Thrillers Many of the biggest and most prolific digital-first publishers we\'ve already mentioned specialise in crime and thrillers, even if their list of titles spans all genres. We recommend scrolling back up this page and checking out the digital-first publishers listed above. Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Speculative Fiction Speculative fiction is another area of the market that seems to perform well digitally. If you\'re writing sci-fi, fantasy or anything speculative, consider submitting your manuscript to one of these publishers: Baen - an independent digital-first publisher of sci-fi and fantasy books. Accepting submissions from un-agented authors, find out more about their submission guidelines here. Berkley - during a recent open submissions call (in 2024), Berkley included romantasy in the genres they were looking for. We recommend keeping an eye on their website and following them on social media for information about how to submit to them. DAW Books - an imprint of Astra, DAW publishes widely across the sci-fi and fantasy genres, they also mention on their website that they aim \'to publish a wide range of voices and stories, because we believe that it is the duty of the science fiction and fantasy genres to be inclusive and representative of as many diverse viewpoints as possible.\' We can\'t find details on how to submit to DAW at this time, which leads us to believe they accept submissions through agents only. Second Sky Books - this digital-first publisher is actively accepting submissions. Check out their submission page, and what they are looking for. Solaris Nova - an imprint of Rebellion publishing, Solaris Nova have detailed guidance on what they are looking for in their open submissions. As well as accepting sci-fi and fantasy, they are also looking for horror submissions! Romance Romance is booming in digital spaces, whether it\'s on BookTok or in the Amazon Kindle charts, so it\'s no surprise to see so many digital-first publishers specialising in this genre. As one of the most popular genres out there, devout are always on the hunt for the next sweeping love story, and digital formats allow them to find new books in an instant. If you\'re a romance writer, don\'t discount working with these publishers. Carina Press - Harlequin\'s digital-first imprint accepts both agented and un-agented submissions. From their clear submission guidelines, we can see that in rare circumstances, they will also consider previously self-published works. Entice - publisher of BookTok romantasy hit Fourth Wing, Entice clearly have the power to help a book become an overnight hit. Unfortunately, at time of writing, they do not accept submissions from un-agented writers. Evernight Publishing - specialising in romance and erotica, Evernight Publishing accept submissions from all writers. Bonus points for clearly stating their submission preferences. Forever Yours - an imprint of Hachette, Forever Yours impressed us with their clear submission guidelines. They accept submissions from both agented and un-agented writers. Mills & Boon - a staple in the romance space! The iconic Mills & Boon seem active in their search of new and un-agented writers to work with. SMP Swerve - whilst this publisher specialises in romance fiction, at the time of writing, we couldn\'t find specific details on how to submit to them but we believe they only accept submissions from agented authors. How do I submit to a digital-first publisher? Usually, digital-first publishers ask for the same materials you would expect a literary agent to request in a submission. These are typically the opening section of your manuscript (up to a certain number of words, pages or chapters), a synopsis and query letter. Some might forgo the query letter and instead ask you to complete a form and include your information. When can I expect to hear back from a digital-first publisher with the results of your submission? It\'s difficult to say - but within the digital-first publisher\'s submission guidelines they usually offer a rough estimate of how long it takes for them to respond to submissions. If that time has elapsed since you have submitted to them (and you\'ve double checked your email inbox and spam folder!) then reaching out is usually acceptable. We recommend keeping in mind that open submissions tend to be popular and it can take a considerable amount of time for editors to read, and make a judgement, on the submissions they receive. Disclaimer: this article seeks to compile information for writers interested in digital publishing. We do not have direct affiliations nor do we endorse any publishers mentioned in this article. If you have experience working with any digital-first publisher and would like to share this with us, or if you think we\'ve missed out a digital-publisher, please send an email to info@jerichowriters.com. We\'d love to hear from you.

Come on a journey with me back in time five years. I had just sat down to write my first novel (note – not the one I ended up getting published as my debut) and I was daydreaming, as you do, about the day I’d see my book in a bookstore. Little did I know that publishing had other ideas for me. The book deal I would end up signing would not see my debut proudly displayed in the windows of my favourite bookstores. It wouldn’t take me on a tour across the country doing signings. It wouldn’t even involve the ability to sell my books at a launch party. That’s because I signed a digital first publishing deal. What is digital first publishing? There are lots of digital first publishers. In fact, more and more are springing up every month (and with good reason – but we’ll touch on that in a bit). Often, they are smaller ‘imprints’ of a larger publisher. Mine, for example, is called Embla Books, and it is a smaller imprint of the much bigger publisher Bonnier Books. What sets these smaller imprints apart is their main focus is on the digital world – eBooks and audiobooks. So, when I signed my book deal, I was entering into an agreement that, though they would produce my book in paperback via Print-On-Demand (AKA the book only gets printed when it’s ordered – there are no copies sitting in a warehouse somewhere like with a traditional publisher), the primary focus would be the eBook and the audiobook. This meant all those typical release activities I had expected from being a published author just didn’t happen. Ugh. That sounds awful. Why would anyone want to go with a digital-first publisher? If you’re sitting there thinking that, I wouldn’t blame you. I, too, felt a little let-down by the whole thing when I first started. I thought I was settling. Like perhaps I wasn’t good enough to get the window displays and the book tours and all of those lovely writerly things. What I didn’t realise in those early days when I felt like I was just playing pretend at being an author was that it would turn out to be the best business decision I could possibly have made. Digital first is where the money is at. Now, I’m not raking in millions as an author. Clearly. I’m still working full-time! However, I’ve undoubtedly earned more than I would have if I had gone down a more ‘traditional’ route of publication. The trouble with those deals is, unless you’re one of the magical unicorn lead titles who get all the publicity, you’re highly unlikely to make any decent money off of physical books. The reason for this is simple – people tend to only buy physical books from authors they already know and like. Because why? Because money. The digital first strategy focuses on building your audience. My books were listed as 99p eBooks that were FREE for anyone with Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime. That’s a lot of people getting my books for free. But you know what? I still got paid. The way Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading works is you get paid a (tiny) amount per page read. While the pay per page is tiny, the amount of people you can reach with a publisher who knows what they’re doing is not. Digital first publishers are typically much more ‘on it’ when it comes to advertising, and they have a much bigger budget for advertising because they’re not wasting it on printing costs. My debut has now been read by nearly 1 million people. How NUTS is that? 1 million x a tiny amount = a substantial paycheck. Okay but… I still want my books in bookstores. I know, I know. Me too. The good news is, now my books are. The reason I suggest digital-first publishing to debut authors is because it’s the perfect jumping off point. It’s a way to build your audience and your readership so that when your books do eventually get into bookstores and you do eventually move to that more traditional publishing model (it took me three books to do it, but I got there) you’ll have that audience who know you and are willing to spend the money to get a hard copy. And you know what? My books are now in bookstores and I still don’t make nearly as much from paperbacks as I do from eBooks. Not even close. The world is changing. . If you want to know more about digital first publishing, why not watch the replay of our Ask A Publisher Anything event with Nia Beynon from Boldwood Books. They’re another digital first publisher that are absolutely storming the bestseller lists right now, so Nia is the best person hear talk about this exciting area of publishing. This replay is available to Premium Members as part of our Masterclass library. Not a Premium Member? Join now and get access to masterclasses, events, video courses, AgentMatch and so much more.

With an impressive background in the finance world, Nuala\'s TUNE IN is a practical guide on how to make decisions in an increasingly chaotic world. We caught up with Nuala to chat all about her writing journey from first draft through to becoming a bestseller. Complete with new directions, lessons learned along the way and a little help along the way from one of our editors, this is the story of how TUNE IN was published... Hi Nuala, thanks for joining us! Can you tell us a little about yourself and your writing journey that led up to the publication of your book TUNE IN: How to Make Smarter Decisions In a Noisy World? As a former Chief Marketing Officer in the investment industry, I went back to school after 30 years and did a MSc in Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics. Although I always thought I would write a book, being able to make sense of the psychology of decision-making and apply it to real-world situations was the catalyst. I think it’s easier to get decisions right and avoid regret than we think - and when we hold power, it’s an obligation to do so. As I sit on boards that span sport and non-profits, I see misjudgement impact people’s lives, I wanted to apply behavioural insights to set people up for success and provide a simple framework to prevent error. What is TUNE IN about and why is it different? Despite popular opinion, the most underestimated risk isn’t economic, technology or climate risk. It’s human decision risk, triggered by our tendency to tune out what really matters especially in high-stakes political or emotional situations – i.e. when we feel under pressure, crisis, conflict or uncertainty.  I draw attention to a neglected source of misinformation which is ironically a source of opportunity. I make the case that human decision risk is an underestimated source of misinformation but also a source of advantage and opportunity. Every day we hear less and misjudge more. TUNE IN explores the rising threat of misjudgement and explains why so many feel unheard and tune out who or what really matters. I introduce a practical framework of ten traps to avoid regret and prevent error. Can you tell us a little bit about the process your book went through from writing the first draft, through to publication? I wrote the first draft of TUNE IN initially and looked for an agent and publisher. The final product was vastly different of course as the idea took a slightly different direction. I think this is the case whether fiction or non-fiction.  The agent search was tough as mostly focused on fiction rather than non-fiction so I engaged Jericho Writers to help refine the pitch. I eventually went direct to a publisher and secured a deal with Harriman House, an imprint of Macmillan. Then, I worked with a wonderful Jericho Writers manuscript editor. This was helpful before I submitted my first version to the publishers. From there, I had three different editors. I found all varied in terms of their focus, interest and attention to detail but together the product was enhanced. My final editor was especially patient interested in the topic, allowing more last-minute changes than I thought possible. Finally I pressed the send button in Dubai. And TUNE IN was born! Is there anything you found particularly useful on your journey? The process is a lot harder than it looks and can be really off-putting. I had read a book on how to make a pitch and found that incredibly useful as full of samples. I also scoured existing books to find agents from other authors. I found that made little difference as psychologically they compared you. The fact that I was in the Jericho Writers community was terrific for a debut non-fiction author. Scribes was also a very good resource for first-time authors which helped TUNE IN. By far the resource I valued most at this early stage was an editor who gave excellent directional feedback and confidence to keep going. Were there any surprises along the way? Or perhaps anything you wished you had known earlier, or been prepared for? I underestimated how much marketing the author needs to do for launch and thereafter; and how you can’t rely on publishers alone. It also costs. Part of this process requires securing endorsements which is very time-consuming. For TUNE IN, I secured 14 phenomenal endorsements from across business, sport, academia and even an FBI Investigator, including some well-known individuals who were extremely generous in their praise. I think it’s worth the effort to do this even though you’re getting tired, and it feels like a luxury. What advice would you give to writers working on their first draft? I had surprises throughout! I don’t think my idea was articulated sharply enough when I first approached agents. Now I think I know what they want. I tried to cover too much in an area people think they’re good at already. For the first draft, I would structure it better and also write the elevator speech. It focuses the mind better. I think it’s important to write the PR pitch in the beginning. If its not strong enough, don’t write at all as it will go nowhere. After having spent years working on your book – how did you know it was time to submit? I had a deadline, so I had no choice about when to submit. That said, once I was excited about the message and the fantastic breadth of stories, that was a signal that TUNE IN was good enough to submit. I had incorporated a lot of real-life characters that made it interesting, pacy and relevant. Most people now comment on the vast range of examples and are pleasantly surprised at the number of current industries and professions covered. I think I will enjoy listening to this again  - with so many facts and stories to make a serious point, I need to remember them all now too! Can you let us know what are you working on now? Within the first few days, TUNE IN was an Amazon #1 new release in six different categories, the most wished for and a top three bestseller in three categories. Of course, this changes regularly and can still get better or worse. I am now having a holiday then focusing on gathering reviews and spreading the word – this is the next stage of the journey!

We were thrilled to hear that Samuel Burr\'s debut had found a home with Orion books. We caught up with Premium Member and now Sunday Times bestselling author, to hear all about his writing journey so far. Hi Samuel, congratulations on the publication of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers! You\'ve had a whirlwind writing journey that includes being a part of our community but also writing for TV, and now having your debut novel come out. Can you tell us a little bit about how you got here? Thank you! It’s been a mad few years, but I’m thrilled to finally be sharing my Puzzlemakers with the world! Ever since I started dipping my toes into the world of novel writing, I’ve tried to embed myself into as many writing communities as I can - not least for the brilliant resources that are so widely available, but also to build my network and make friends with fellow writers. Writing a novel is no mean feat and it’s also a very solitary pastime, so having people to lean on for help and support is totally invaluable. Jericho Writers has been a brilliant for that. I started writing my debut at the Faber Academy, having previously completed an online course with Curtis Brown Creative, but I realised quite quickly after graduating from Faber (and securing an agent) that I wasn’t done learning! In fact, I was hungry to continue developing my craft, and to meet more writers! So that’s when I joined Jericho Writers as a Premium Member, whilst editing Puzzlemakers, which ended up selling in an auction in Feb 2022. It’s being translated in 14 languages around the world, which is something I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get my head around! My role in television involved devising, developing and selling new unscripted TV formats, so I’ve always been someone full of ideas. During my career I’ve also learnt to develop my pitching skills. I understand that the most sellable ideas can be pitched in just a few lines, and so I\'ve honed the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers elevator pitch over and over! We’re thrilled to have been part of your journey, and, we’re always keen to talk elevator pitches. They are so tricky, but once you’ve nailed your book’s concept, they can be a secret weapon. If you’re up for it, could you share your pitch with us? (And anyone who isn’t familiar with The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers). Of course! It’s the story of Clayton Stumper - a young man who is a bit of a young fogey. Clay dresses like your grandad and drinks sherry like your aunt. At 25 years of age, he finds himself as one of the surviving members of a very British institution. The Fellowship is a retirement community made up of some of the smartest minds in the country and it’s where he was abandoned at birth. Among the residents are a mazemaker, a quiz setter, and a jigsaw artist to name just a few. But there’s a mystery at the heart of the Fellowship…. a puzzle that’s yet to be solved…. and that’s how Clayton came to be there, and where he came from.  When the founder of the Fellowship – an esteemed cruciverbalist (or a crossword compiler) called Pippa Allsbrook passes away, she bequeaths her final puzzle to the young man she’s raised as her own. And so, we follow Clayton on a quest, as he pieces together the clues of his past, and finds himself at the same time. At its heart, it’s a story about young man finding his place in the world. But it is also a celebration of the wisdom of age and the friendships that can exist between the old and young. We know how much a manuscript can transform during the process of writing the first draft through to publication, what was that process like for The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers? As one of my characters points out in the book, ‘…nothing worth solving is ever easy…’ and it was no exception with this book. I think editing any novel is a bit of a puzzle in itself – trying to work out where all the parts belong, searching for missing holes to fill in. I suppose what made my novel particularly challenging to write (and specifically to edit) were the interactive elements embedded into the story.  I knew I wanted to feature actual puzzles within the text for readers to solve – to make it a book you can read and play. After countless revisions and tweaks we finally got there! But it was anything but easy! Were there any surprises along the way? Or perhaps anything you wished you had known earlier, or been prepared for? Adapting the text for the audiobook was another very unique challenge as you obviously can’t see the puzzles while listening, but I’m thrilled with how it’s turned out. I think that’s something that doesn’t really cross your mind when you’re writing, at least it didn’t for me. It was only after signing the deal that I realised we’d be making an audio version of the book and that’s when I had to put my thinking cap on! I must say, our readers Dame Penelope Keith and Russell Tovey are just perfect and it’s a fantastic listen! You were developing your craft for several years before you were published, is there anything you found particularly useful on your journey? I’m always impressed by how many brilliant resources there are out there for aspiring writers. I benefitted hugely from plugging into the community as quickly as I could. Coming from television, I didn’t really know anyone in books, so I knew I needed to build my network of contacts in the same way I had done in TV. I attended countless events – in real life and virtually – signed up for courses, followed my favourite writers on socials, as well as the big influencers, publishing houses etc, just so I could understand how the industry worked, learn from other people’s experiences, and build my own writing tribe. It’s been completely invaluable, particularly in the run-up to publication. I’m so lucky to have people cheering me on, helping to spread the word. Of course, I’m now keen to pay it forward and do the same for other debut writers. After spending so long writing and re-writing the same story, spending infinite amounts of time with your characters – how did you know it was time to submit? It’s so difficult to know! Someone once told me a book is never finished, but it is ready, and I found that immensely helpful. I think by the time my agent and I were going out on submission I had reached a point where I knew I couldn’t continue without the input of someone else. I needed fresh eyes on it. I had done as much as I physically could with the story, honed every sentence countless times, and I felt proud of the story I’d created. I think that’s quite key. Are you comfortable sharing this with others? Do you feel good inside about it? Do you have any advice for writers hoping to get published?   Nail your comp titles! I really think this is key. There is so much competition and agents are so overworked that you need to be able to say where your book might sit figuratively on a shelf. I always encourage people not to go too literally when coming up with comps. Think about the core elements of your book – its identifying features – and find other books that have similar touchstones. If you can’t think of any, you might have a problem. Selling a book that is entirely ‘unique’ (i.e. It can’t be compared to anything else in the market) makes it almost impossible to sell. Publishers can be risk averse so make it easier for them to say yes. Nail your comps!  Before we go, can you let us know what are you working on now? I’m delighted to have the opportunity to write a second book with Orion Fiction, which is another standalone novel. While I can’t say too much at this point, I hope that anyone who has read and enjoyed The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers will also enjoy my second book. Nostalgic joy. That’s all I’m saying for now!

Hi, Jericho Writers here! This takeover originally featured in one of our email newsletters in 2022. Since then, Marve\'s career has sky-rocketed. After making the Friday Night Live final at our Festival of Writing, Marve went on to secure a three-book deal with Penguin. Take a walk down memory lane with us and enjoy Marve\'s advice on how to persevere as a writer... Hi! I’m Marve, a writer and a recovering sore-loser. I wrote my first poem at eleven. It was NOT the best-written piece of work, but it helped me articulate the feelings I previously didn’t think had words. A couple of years later, I started writing a novel. I’m proud to say I wrote up to 10,000 words before losing my handwritten manuscript– four times! Why? Because I was so excited for anyone to read my work that I literally gifted it to them. It took me a decade to finish that book, but one thing remained the same - I still can’t wait for the world to read my work.   I pour my heart into every draft, so when my work isn’t the best thing my reader has ever read, the crash hits hard and burns fast! It’s an unrealistic want– somehow, it still hurts.   In 2017, I took a loan from my dad to publish my first novel and did all the marketing myself. I sold over 400 copies in the launch weekend and sold enough that month to pay back the loan (my dad is a banker, so he’s very by the books). In hindsight, that was pretty impressive for a 22-year-old - but a couple of years later, sales slowed to a near halt. Something wasn’t working and this sent me right into a writing slump for another couple of years.   It felt like an uphill battle with the saboteur in my head, and while I was terrified, I wasn’t ready to give up yet. So, earlier this year, I dared to write again, and later got a manuscript assessment report. The feedback was– amazing and unique story, but this draft needs a lot more work. Oh! The pain! This feedback hit harder because it was my first try after my writing slump, so in my head, I’m thinking – time to quit.   But now, I’m back, and that’s because I learned something that’s changed my mindset. I learned to embrace the \'sulk’. I’ve come to understand that it’s okay to be disappointed, to take as much ice cream as I need, and mindlessly rewatch Friends for the 200th time when things don’t go according to plan. This has been a real breakthrough for me because I\'ve allowed myself the time to first, reflect and then do what was most important- move on. Moving on is much easier when you\'ve grieved whatever disappointment or letdown you\'re dealing with. Whether it’s the 10th or 200th agent rejection, two years stuck on submissions, not getting that award you really wanted, or maybe it’s the sour words of a beta reader. Nothing is too big or small to feel bad about, but you must remember that the goal is to get moving. Allow yourself to feel the feelings. Take however long you need, then come back to the mission, ready to take on the world. At least, that’s what’s worked for me.  This year, I’ve had to be a lot braver. I applied to five competitions in one day, and got shortlisted for two, including Friday Night Live! Who’d have thought? Did I cry when I missed out on winning? Yes! Did I apply for more? Yes!   Now, my final draft is nearly clean enough for submission, and with five full manuscript requests, two partials and two editor requests, I feel like I\'m much closer to getting an agent.  I’m also self-publishing again, and while I hope for a greater launch than the first one, nearly six years later, these old bones creak, and I wonder if I have the guts of a hopeful 22-year-old girl. We\'ll see.  The mission is to do it afraid. So, to you, I say, TRY, FAIL, SULK, MOVE ON!  Marve

We were thrilled to hear the news that long-time member of our community Saz Wilson recently self-published her first book Mad Dogs & Me: A Comedy Diary. To celebrate this fantastic milestone, we caught up with Saz to hear all about her journey from Premium Member to debut author. Where did the idea for your book come from? What inspired you to write it? In a moment of madness, I took on two giant Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies who turned my life upside down! Kiara was a menace to society and looked for trouble every second she was awake. Otis, her loyal brother, was her wingman and a serious sufferer of FOMO, so never wanted to miss out on an opportunity to join in with the shenanigans. I would recount my daily tales of woe at school pick-up and the other mums would howl with laughter and I thought, I need to write this down! As I barely had time to take a bath, I recorded them on my phone’s voice notes instead. By lockdown I had over 300 entries and decided to turn them into a comedy diary. Why did you choose to self-publish instead of seeking agency representation? I used to work in film and TV and from personal experience knew that once you handed your work over to a production company, which in this case would be a publisher, you had very little control. I wanted the book to reflect my authentic voice and I knew the branding that I wanted for the cover and the website. I felt the only way to be truly happy with what I produced was to manage the whole process myself. I also thought self-publishing would be quicker than going the traditional route but with the first book, I’m not sure that’s true – there was so much to learn! Photo taken at Saz Wilson\'s Mad Dogs & Me: A Comedy Diary Book Launch What was your favourite thing about self-publishing? I’m not going to lie, self-publishing to the equivalent standard of traditional publishing is really, really hard. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started! I think my favourite thing about self-publishing is that if it fails, it’s down to you but if it succeeds, it is also because of you! You have the final say on the edit, the cover, everything, and as the marketer you have to be proud of what you are selling. I loved the finished copy of my book and the feedback has been incredible. What was the hardest part of self-publishing your book? Where do I start?! All of it was hard if I’m honest. I think the two hardest parts were that most communication is online so when you’re trying to describe creative elements in detail, it’s done through messaging which is extremely frustrating. Things that should have taken weeks, took months because of this. The other thing was the amount of third party human error. Every time the book went off for editing, proof-reading, typesetting etc. the book would come back with errors that weren’t there before. You have to triple check your manuscript until your eyes bleed! How did you find Jericho Writers helpful? Jericho Writers was the reason I had the confidence to self-publish. I finished my manuscript almost two years ago and joined Jericho as a Premium Member immediately. I found the courses, live webinars and team of professionals invaluable. I also felt part of a community which is so important when you’re at home trying to figure all this out by yourself. I worked with so many amazing people on the book who I found through Jericho. Anna Caig was incredible with the marketing and Debbie Young was invaluable with the book production. I had a list of questions as long as my arm, and Debbie knew the answers to every single one of them! Photo taken at Saz Wilson\'s Mad Dogs & Me: A Comedy Diary Book Launch What advice would you give to other authors looking to self-publish? I would say join Jericho Writers as a Premium Member straight away. The amount of content you have access to is the biggest value for money in all the money you’ll spend, honestly. And I’m not just saying that because this is an interview with them! Check the acknowledgements at the back of my book – Jericho are the first people I thank! I would also say really learn about the process, speak to other self-published authors and Take. Your. Time. Everything takes longer than you think and often it can be overwhelming and you need to take a break for a few days to get your head together. Having a mentor at any stage of the process is invaluable. I worked with a book coach when I was re-writing the manuscript and it helped me to meet deadlines and talk ideas through. The same when I was marketing and publishing. Courses are brilliant but can only take you so far – sometimes you need to talk to someone in the know when you’re stuck and want to chuck the towel in!  It’s not cheap but it’s an investment in yourself and you won’t regret it. However, the biggest piece of advice I would give to any new author is stay true to your vision, it’s your book at the end of the day and you are the one who is going to be selling it. Saz Wilson is the author of her first book Mad Dogs & Me: A Comedy Diary, a hilarious and moving real-life diary about a woman who’s bitten off more than she can chew by taking on two giant mad puppies. Saz wrote the book to make people laugh and to raise enough money to open an animal sanctuary. You can read more about Saz on her website and you can purchase Mad Dogs & Me: A Comedy Diary now. If you\'re interested in self-publishing, you can follow in Saz\'s footsteps and work with expert Debbie Young, check out the Simply Self-Publish course. You can find out more about the course here. We\'re accepting applications until 4 April, apply here.

If you\'ve ever felt the thrill of following clues, the satisfaction of piecing together a complex puzzle, or the rush of adrenaline as you uncover a hidden truth, then you\'re in for a treat. Today, we\'re sharing some fun murder mystery story ideas to get those literary cogs turning and your creative juices flowing like a river of suspense. From classic whodunits to tales of the supernatural and mind-bending mysteries that defy time and space, where secrets are buried deep, motives lurk in the shadows, and the pursuit of justice keeps your heart racing, we’ve got it all covered. Murder mysteries are like a puzzle waiting to be solved, a riddle itching to be unravelled, and a suspenseful rollercoaster ride that leaves you breathless. They\'re the literary gems that keep us up at night, eagerly flipping page after page, driven by that burning question: \"Whodunit?\" And now, it\'s your turn to become the mastermind behind the most mind-boggling and diabolical murder mystery stories that will captivate and mesmerize your readers. Remember, these are just starting points. You can take inspiration from one or many of these ideas and work on fleshing them out with our book outline template. What makes a good murder mystery story? Before we dive headfirst into the treasure trove of murder mystery story ideas, let\'s unravel the essence of what makes these tales so utterly captivating. A murder mystery is an intricate dance of clues and misdirection that challenges both the sleuth within us and the boundaries of our imagination. At its core, it\'s a narrative journey where a crime, most often a murder, becomes the focal point around which suspense, intrigue, and tension swirl. The heart of any compelling murder mystery lies in the pursuit of truth and justice, as we follow the footsteps of detectives, amateur sleuths, or even ordinary individuals thrust into extraordinary circumstances, all determined to uncover the secrets concealed within the shadows of a crime. So, as we explore a plethora of murder mystery story ideas, remember that these tales are not just about \"whodunit\" but also about the thrilling journey of unravelling the \"why\" and \"how.\" Where can you find ideas for murder mystery stories? When it comes to finding inspiration for your murder mystery stories, ideas can be found absolutely anywhere. Here are just a few places where you can start looking: Real-Life Crimes – Real life is often stranger than fiction! Draw inspiration from true crime stories, unsolved cases, or historical mysteries. Local Legends and Urban Myths – Explore local folklore, urban legends, or mysterious occurrences in your area. These tales often contain elements ripe for a captivating murder mystery. Character Quirks – Start with a unique character and build a story around their quirks, flaws, or hidden past. Characters can be both the heart of the mystery and the source of intrigue. Exotic Settings - Transport your readers to intriguing and exotic locations, such as remote islands, ancient castles, or bustling cities, where secrets lurk in every corner. Often with a creepy or interesting setting comes a spark of an idea. Historical Periods - Dive into a specific historical era or event and craft a murder mystery within that context. Historical details can add depth and richness to your story. Unusual Murder Weapons - Think beyond the conventional and create mysteries with unconventional murder weapons, from poisoned desserts to deadly heirlooms. Relationship Dynamics - Explore complex relationships like family feuds, love triangles, or business rivalries. Emotions and motives can be the driving force behind your murder mystery. Unanswered Questions - Take inspiration from unanswered questions or loose ends in existing stories, history, or folklore. Fill in the gaps with your own imaginative twists. Bizarre Phenomena - Consider unusual phenomena like paranormal events, time travel, or bizarre occurrences that challenge logic. These elements can add a unique twist to your murder mystery. By drawing inspiration from these diverse sources, you can craft murder mystery stories that intrigue, surprise, and captivate your readers. The possibilities are endless, and your creative journey begins by exploring the mysteries that pique your interest the most. Murder mystery story idea prompts If that’s not enough to get your imagination going, I’ve put together some prompts for your writing. Feel free to add your own twist or mix them up. You’re only limited by your imagination. 1. \"The Poisoned Pianist\" Imagine a world-class pianist in the midst of an epic concert. The lights dim, the audience holds its breath, and just as the final note is struck, the pianist collapses, poisoned! Who had access to the pianist\'s water bottle, and why would anyone want to silence this musical genius forever? 2. \"The Haunting of Hollow Manor\" Set in a creepy, centuries-old mansion, a group of strangers gathers for a masquerade ball. Suddenly, the lights flicker, and a blood-curdling scream echoes through the halls. But when they find the victim, there\'s no one else in sight. Is the mansion really haunted, or is there a sinister plot afoot? 3. \"The Time-Traveling Murderer\" In a small town known for its mysterious temporal anomalies, a murder occurs that defies all logic. The victim appears to have been killed with a weapon from the future, and the clues lead the detectives on a mind-bending journey through time itself. 4. \"The Deadly Art Heist\" A world-renowned art collector\'s prized possession is stolen right from under his nose, but the thief is found dead at the scene. The collector insists it\'s a murder, not a robbery gone wrong. The question is, who wanted the artwork, and why was the thief silenced? 5. \"The Circus of Secrets\" Under the big top of a traveling circus, a high-flying trapeze artist plummets to their death during a daring act. But was it truly an accident, or was there a web of jealousy and betrayal lurking behind the scenes of this colourful circus world? 6. \"The Phantom of Penrose Park\" Penrose Park has long been rumoured to be haunted, but when a well-known ghost hunter meets an untimely demise during an investigation, the town is thrown into chaos. Did the ghost get revenge, or was there something more sinister hiding in the shadows? 7. \"The Cryptic Cruise Conspiracy\" On a luxury cruise liner in the middle of the ocean, a wealthy passenger is found dead in their locked cabin. With no way on or off the ship, the killer must be among the guests and crew. But how did they commit the murder without leaving a trace? 8. \"The Vanishing Village\" An entire village disappears overnight, leaving behind empty houses and abandoned possessions. But a lone survivor claims to have seen something that night – something otherworldly. Can investigators unravel the mystery of the vanishing village and the survivor\'s cryptic tale? 9. \"The Enigmatic Lighthouse Murder\" Perched on a desolate island, a centuries-old lighthouse stands as a beacon of hope and mystery. When a lighthouse keeper is found dead at the top of the tower with the light extinguished, it\'s not just his life that\'s gone dark. As investigators arrive, they must contend with treacherous cliffs, relentless storms, and the eerie whispers of ghostly legends surrounding the lighthouse. 10. \"The Culinary Conundrum at Gourmet Gardens\" In the heart of the culinary world, at the renowned Gourmet Gardens restaurant, a famous chef is found dead in the walk-in freezer, surrounded by a tantalizing array of frozen delicacies. As sous-chefs and servers become suspects, tensions rise in the kitchen. Was it a cooking rivalry gone too far, or does the secret ingredient lie in the chef\'s mysterious past? 11. \"The Curse of the Crimson Ruby\" A cursed gem with a blood-soaked history disappears from a museum, only to resurface at an extravagant gala. The owner of the ruby is killed, and the gem vanishes again. Rumours of the curse spread like wildfire, and detectives must unravel the dark secrets behind the gem\'s curse, the gala guests, and the elusive thief. 12. \"The Disappearing Detective\" A renowned detective known for solving the most complex cases vanishes without a trace while working on a high-profile murder investigation. His disappearance coincides with a cryptic letter left at the crime scene. The detective\'s protege and a sceptical journalist must team up to follow the trail of clues their mentor left behind and uncover the truth behind his vanishing act. 13. \"The Suburban Secrets Society\" In a seemingly idyllic suburban neighbourhood, a series of seemingly unrelated murders occur. As the body count rises, it becomes evident that the victims were all members of a secretive neighbourhood club with dark, closely guarded secrets. With tensions rising and neighbors turning on each other, a detective must navigate the web of lies and betrayals to unveil the truth behind the suburban secrets society. 14. \"The Whispering Woods Homicide\" In a secluded woodland retreat known for its tranquillity, a famous author is found dead in a cabin, surrounded by manuscripts filled with cryptic messages. The victim had been working on a controversial book that exposed the secrets of the town\'s most prominent citizens. As investigators delve into the reclusive community\'s hidden tensions and buried secrets, they must decipher the author\'s enigmatic notes to uncover the truth behind the murder. 15. \"The Midnight Carnival Conundrum\" A traveling carnival that appears only at the stroke of midnight in a remote town becomes the eerie backdrop for a series of bizarre deaths. Each victim is found wearing an elaborate costume from the carnival, and their deaths are staged as macabre performances. With the carnival\'s elusive and enigmatic owner at the centre of the mystery, a detective must navigate the twisted funhouse of clues and illusions to unmask the killer before the next midnight arrives. 16. \"The Phantom Photographer\" In the age of social media and selfie culture, a renowned photographer mysteriously vanishes after a high-profile photoshoot. Her camera, however, continues to upload unsettling images to her website, each one containing cryptic clues. As detectives and online sleuths attempt to decode the pictures, they unveil a dark world of secrets hidden behind the lens. 17. \"The Quantum Conundrum\" In a cutting-edge laboratory, a brilliant physicist is found dead, seemingly killed by a paradoxical phenomenon related to her groundbreaking experiments in quantum physics. Her colleagues are baffled, unable to explain the bizarre circumstances surrounding her death. As investigators delve into the complexities of quantum mechanics, they must uncover the truth hidden within the blurred lines of reality itself. 18. \"The Cryptic Case of the Lost Memory\" A man wakes up in a hospital room with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He soon discovers that he\'s the prime suspect in a murder case. With only fragments of memories and a sense of dread, he becomes both detective and suspect, piecing together his past to unravel the mystery of the murder and clear his name. 19. \"The Puzzle Box Predicament\" A renowned puzzle designer is found dead in his locked study, surrounded by his most intricate creations. The only clue is a cryptic message hidden within a seemingly unsolvable puzzle box. As detectives struggle to crack the code, they uncover a network of puzzle enthusiasts with motives that are as enigmatic as the puzzles themselves. 20. \"The Museum of Mysterious Artifacts\" A curator of an eccentric museum specializing in unusual and obscure artifacts is found dead among his exhibits. Each item holds a secret, and as investigators delve into the collection, they unearth a labyrinth of ancient rituals, forgotten legends, and hidden truths that may hold the key to solving the murder. 21. \"The Cipher of the Secret Society\" A secret society steeped in arcane rituals and guarded knowledge is shaken when one of its members is found dead, bearing the marks of an ancient cipher. As investigators infiltrate the society\'s clandestine meetings, they encounter a web of allegiances, betrayals, and hidden agendas that lead to a shocking revelation. 22. \"The Midnight Mosaic Murder\" A mosaic artist is discovered dead amidst a gallery of breathtaking artworks, each piece holding a fragment of a larger mystery. As detectives piece together the shattered clues, they uncover a tale of passion, betrayal, and an artistic rivalry that turned deadly. 23. \"The Forgotten Vault\" In an old, forgotten bank vault, a box of unsolved cases is discovered, each containing the remains of cold, forgotten crimes. Among them is a mystery that has baffled detectives for decades. With fresh eyes and modern techniques, a new generation of investigators must crack the code and unearth the truth behind the forgotten vault. 24. \"The Labyrinth of Lies\" A notorious maze designer is found dead at the centre of his most complex creation. The maze itself holds the key to his demise, concealing a trail of secrets and betrayals. As investigators navigate the twists and turns, they must confront the truth that lies at the heart of the labyrinth. 25. \"The Riddle of the Time Capsule\" When a time capsule from a school\'s past is opened, it reveals a series of cryptic messages hinting at a long-forgotten crime. As former classmates reunite to solve the mystery, they uncover buried secrets and confront the shadows of their shared past. 26. \"The Vanishing Act\" A renowned magician, known for his jaw-dropping illusions, disappears during a high-profile performance. His body is never found, and the mystery of his vanishing act becomes an enduring legend. Years later, a series of events hint at the truth behind his disappearance, leading a determined investigator to unravel the enigma of the vanished magician. 27. \"The Forgotten Island\" A remote island, long forgotten by the world, holds the key to a centuries-old mystery. When a group of adventurers arrive to uncover its secrets, they find themselves entangled in a web of hidden treasures, ancient curses, and a murder that echoes through the ages. 28. \"The Infernal Inheritance\" When a wealthy eccentric passes away, leaving behind an intricate series of puzzles and riddles, his heirs must work together to claim their inheritance. However, as they delve into the enigmatic challenges, they realize that the clues may lead to a dark family secret and a murder that has remained hidden for generations. 29. \"The Haunted Hotel Heist\" In a once-glamorous but now abandoned hotel rumoured to be haunted, a notorious gang of thieves plans a daring heist. However, when one of the thieves is found dead under eerie circumstances, it\'s unclear whether supernatural forces or human treachery are at play. A detective must untangle the web of secrets that haunts both the hotel and its criminal occupants. 30. \"The Cryptic Codes\" A retired cryptographer is found dead in his secluded cabin, surrounded by coded messages that have baffled even the best codebreakers. His final words hint at a long-buried conspiracy, but the meaning remains hidden. As investigators decode the cryptic messages, they unearth a conspiracy that threatens to rewrite history. Remember, the key to crafting a killer murder mystery is to sprinkle in red herrings, create complex characters with motives aplenty, and keep your readers guessing until the final page. Whether you choose to weave a tale of time travel, haunted houses, or cunning criminals, these murder mystery story ideas are sure to spark your creativity and leave your readers on the edge of their seats. So, get writing and let your inner detective shine! Happy sleuthing, and may your plots be as twisted as a pretzel on a rollercoaster!

Writing an elevator pitch is a great way to get to the core of your book. Grabbing the attention of a literary agent can be a daunting task, but if you can express the new and exciting concept that your book has to offer in just one short sentence, you’ll be off to a flying start. In the lead-up to our Meet Your Match event on 14 February 2024, we asked leading literary agents why elevator pitches are so important and how you can make yours as compelling as possible… Why bother? A good elevator pitch doesn’t just show the agent that you understand your book’s unique selling point (USP) —it can also help you to think about your writing in a new way. Getting it right can take practice, but every time you put pen to paper, you’ll be narrowing down on what makes your book special just that little bit more. “Elevator pitches are so important, primarily because they help YOU, the author, think about your book from a more salesy perspective—and throughout your book’s launch, you will need to be a constant salesperson for your story. Authors often have a hard time summing up their own book, but you’d be surprised by how much having a refined, concise elevator pitch will come in handy, and directly contribute to your book’s success!” Rachel Beck, Liza Dawson Associates View Rachel’s AgentMatch profile. Standing out from the crowd Think about the last time you picked up a book by a new author. What grabbed you about its premise? What made it feel fresh and interesting? An elevator pitch is a quick and easy way to get your agent, editor or reader hooked right from the beginning. “A good elevator pitch bridges the gap between the familiar and the exciting. It tells me where your book sits on the market, and it tells me why your book isn’t like anything else on the market. So get that USP up front—tell me that you’re in a genre I love and tell me what you’re doing that nobody else in that genre has done before.” Eli Keren, United Agents View Eli’s AgentMatch profile. Keeping it concise One of the hardest parts of writing an elevator pitch is summarising your book in a single sentence. Practice makes perfect—but if you’re finding yourself unable to pick out that one crucial element at the core of your book, it could be a sign that something’s wrong. “If you’re struggling with an elevator pitch because you have too much to say in just one line, it may be that your book is lacking a sharp hook—and that might be something worth revising.” Elinor Davies, Madeleine Milburn View Elinor’s AgentMatch profile. Want an example of an elevator pitch? Looking for an example? Here’s one from our very own Katie Day – who, before joining the Jericho Writers team, was our 2022 Meet Your Match winner: When the neighbour she’s been spying on suddenly leaves, a lonely woman inserts herself into the life of the girlfriend he left behind. SORROW & BLISS meets YOU in a commercial women\'s fiction with a dash of domestic suspense. Why did we love it? Because it showed a great awareness of genre, it gave us enough information to catch our attention while leaving us with plenty of questions we wanted to see answered, and it did all of that in under 40 words. In short, it hooked us! If you’re ready to get started writing your own, take a look at Harry Bingham’s guide to elevator pitches here: How To Write An Elevator Pitch For Your Novel – Jericho Writers. And, once you’ve cracked it, why not share your pitch with us? On 14 February 2024, we will be taking a look at your elevator pitches on Twitter/X with the return of our Meet Your Match event. Simply post your elevator pitch, details of your book’s genre and the hashtag #JWMeetYourMatch between 2pm and 4pm GMT, and we’ll match you with an agent we think would like to see your work. Plus, if we really love your pitch, you’ll also be in with a chance to win a free Agent One-to-One session!

Author (and Jericho Writers Premium Member) Liz Webb is back with THE SAVED, an utterly gripping thriller with a chilling premise set on an isolated Scottish island. If you haven\'t read our first interview with Liz charting her writing journey through to publication of her brilliant debut THE DAUGHTER, do catch up here. Hello Liz, thank you so much for joining us again. The conversation did take some interesting turns! We spoke about what it’s like to write your first book versus your second, how supportive your publisher Allison and Busby is and the perils of googling ex-boyfriends. Thanks so much for having me back. Well, my 2nd book was easier to write because of what I’d learned with the 1st one, but simultaneously harder, exactly because I knew more and had expectations to grapple with. But I’m very proud of both books. My publisher Allison & Busby continues to be marvellously supportive. And googling ex-boyfriends could turn out to be a great source for future plots: last interview I mentioned discovering that one ex was in prison for fraud and I recently found out that another is now a clairvoyant: oh that I could stop my heart for a couple of hours and visit him for a haunting! And talking of stopping hearts, that’s the theme of my 2nd novel THE SAVED, published on Jan 25th 2024: Nancy discovers the body of her partner Calder floating in the freezing sea near an isolated Scottish island. Paramedics fail to resuscitate him but mysteriously say ‘you’re not dead till you’re warm and dead’. Because people can be brought back to life up to 6 hours later if they have a heart attack while extremely cold. Calder does indeed ‘come back from the dead’ and everyone says he’s fully recovered. But Nancy looks into his eyes and knows that something is very wrong. Now she’s going home with a stranger… One thing that came through last time we spoke was your sense of humour. You’ve done many things, but as a former comedian (and a very funny person) what brought you to writing psychological thrillers? If you hear a good joke, you’re laughing. Read a tense thriller, you’re on edge and gripped. Laughter and fear are both immediate visceral reactions. So trying to make someone laugh is not that dissimilar to making a book tense. In both, I’m trying to elicit a gut reaction. It’s just that a joke is short and you succeed or fail immediately; whereas a book takes aaages to write and the publishing process is glacial before you reach readers. Secondly, both comedy and thrillers grab attention and take you out of yourself. I get bored easily, am super-lazy and can be tediously self-analytical. So I’m drawn to anything that shakes me out of my listlessness and navel-gazing and love comedy and thrillers. My most recent favourite comedy comes from the US comic Nate Bargatze, with his deceptively simple slants on everyday life. And my most recent favourite psychological thriller is Yellowface by R F Kuang: in which rabid publishing jealousy fuels theft, paranoia and payback; what’s not to like! And thirdly, with both comedy and psychological thriller writing, I’m fulfilling my inexplicable compulsion to show off for praise. I’ve merely massively increased the buffer between the work and the reaction. I did stand up in my early 20’s when I was especially wild and needy, so I was on a roll enough to risk instant failure for the instant hit of laughs. In middle age, I’ve become more private and less desperate (ha!) and now I prefer to provoke more distanced reactions. As well as being a former stand-up comedian, you’ve worked a variety of roles across the entertainment industry (including as a classical ballet dancer, voice-over artist, radio producer). Would you ever be tempted to set one of your books in the entertainment world? My 1st book, THE DAUGHTER, featured an annoyingly confident actor as the brother of the narrator, even though the actors I’ve directed have been lovely people. Well, most of them. In my 2nd book, THE SAVED, the protagonist Nancy is an ex-Radio Drama producer, like me. And I’ve made her as jaded as I felt when I stopped. She’s become an online film script editor and is working on a modern reimagining of Frankenstein. When I was a producer, people were always trying to sell ideas which were ‘re-imaginings’ of famous books. As my character Nancy says: ‘Yawn. Why does everything have to be re-imagined? … But hey, I’m getting paid shedloads to sleek up this tech-y confection, so, onwards.’ The Frankenstein theme of meddling with science to bring someone back from the dead runs through the book and one of my character’s motivations is inspired by this terrifying Frankenstein quote: ‘I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.’ For my 3rd book I’m toying with a voice-over artist character, a job I did for many years, for Persil, Kellogg’s and Herbal Essences, and it’s such an odd world of lies. I’d be standing at a microphone with my dirty greasy hair pulled back in a straggly knot, watching a glamorous model with thick flowing tresses on the screen, as I tried to sync my voice to her pouty lips: ‘I love how my hair feels, so strong, so silky, so alive’. That kind of angry dissociation could really drive a character to dark deeds… Your second book The Saved is set on a spooky and isolated island off the west coast of Scotland. Was there a particular place or trip that inspired this location? I knew I wanted to write about the unusual medical phenomenon that if you have a heart attack in freezing conditions, there is a slim chance of being brought back several hours later. So, I needed to set my book somewhere very cold, but wanted to stay in English speaking territory. Scotland in winter seemed appropriate and by chance I heard that a writer called Sarah Clayton (author of The Wrong Daughter) was running a writing retreat on one of the slate islands off the western coast of Scotland. It was a great workshop and my book came alive on this stunning but stark slate island: the single storey white cottages with their un-unnervingly thick walls, the wild ever-changing weather, the atmospheric small single church, the bizarre whirlpools out at sea, the tightknit community, and the steep hills with sheep clinging precariously to the edge, from which they sometimes plummet to their deaths. I had fleshed out the whole plot by the time I left. I wrote it up and then returned for a second trip in the autumn to really experience the details: the odd woody Jenga block sound as you walk over the slates; the shockingly clear night skies with their piercing stars; and as I have a character lost at sea, I swam in the freezing waves in winter, which was so exhilarating and other-worldly. I knew that being alone and submerged in that icy water would change someone for ever. In The Saved, your main character Nancy is living in a nightmare situation after a near-death experience transforms her partner Calder into a total stranger. When I heard that I instantly got chills and I need to know how it ends! Writers can often struggle to know whether an idea is strong enough to carry an entire novel. How did you come up with the concept and know it had the legs to become The Saved? I saw a short film online about an incident in 2011 when seven teenagers were found floating in the ice-encrusted Præstø Fjord in Denmark after a school trip boat overturned in a storm. Their bodies were brought to shore two hours later. Everyone was shouting ‘they’re dead, they’re all dead’. But they were rushed to hospital, warmed up 1 degree per 10 minutes and, miraculously, their hearts started again at 26 degrees, six hours after they had stopped. I instantly knew that this would be the start of my book. I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of ‘not being’ given that consciousness is so vivid. So the idea that you could be in a strange in-between place, dead, but with the potential to come back was catnip to me. I was interested in what it was like for the person who ‘died’ and for relations who fully believed that their loved one had died, but then they came back. I felt that the idea of someone coming back from the dead and appearing changed was a great initial hook and this pulled the story along to the middle. From there, I used awful revelations about the accident to gradually unearth deeper secrets which led to the final terrible consequences. You’ve mentioned how slate (the main substance the island in The Saved is made up of) is a particularly important motif in the book. Did this emerge naturally whilst you were working on the novel or did you always know you wanted to build your idea around this motif? I had zero thought of slate initially. It was pure luck that the place I went to research cold seas off Scotland, happened to be a slate island. Once I saw the stunning beaches of Seil, Luing and Easdale, I knew my island had to be a slate one, because a slate beach is such a stunning sight. As Nancy says in my book: ‘It’s an awesome expanse of glinting angles, endless jagged grey shards, as if this huge gunmetal sea all around us had risen up into the air, frozen, and then exploded all over the shore.’ Slate mining stopped on the Scottish islands by the 1960s and moved to Wales but the old winches and water-filled pits left behind seemed to suggest buried secrets waiting to be brought back to the surface. I discovered that while slate is a hard-wearing substance used for roofs, once broken it can never be put back together again because pieces sheer off. This seemed like a perfect motif for a strong marriage pushed to extremes: if you start to think negative things about your partner, when do you reach the point of no return? Last time we spoke you took us through your journey from writing your first draft, polishing it using Jericho Writer masterclasses during the Summer Writing Festival in 2020, through to publishing The Daughter in 2022 with Allison and Busby. Do you have any advice to writers hoping to follow in your footsteps? Writing is a million times easier than so many jobs: eg. abattoir worker, sewage-spill-cleaner and anal-hair-bleacher (that is a real job). But writing is hard: to start, to traverse the middle, to finish, to edit, to entice an agent and to basically just stay sane in the hall of distorting fairground mirrors that is publishing. My advice to would-be-writers is: be a writer if you actually like writing rather than just imagining being a writer; if you like writing most of the time then keep writing even when you don’t like writing; and when you really hate writing, go for a walk, have a toasted sandwich while watching CSI Las Vegas, get a good night’s sleep and then get back to writing. With plotting, push your initial idea beyond where it seems to rest at first, because I think readers of psychological thrillers want to be constantly surprised. And try to find a regular writing group of perceptive honest writer friends who will gently put bad ideas out of their misery while helping spark good new ones, commiserate with your hiccups and applaud your successes. Any top tips on how they can make the most of writing resources? I connect with Jericho whenever I need help. When I started work on book 3 a month ago, I was feeling pretty adrift ideas-wise, so I went on the Jericho website, put ‘ideas’ in the search box, and pressed enter. 198 videos and articles instantly flashed up. 198! I straightaway felt less loopy and seized-up. I watched several videos including: Generating Ideas with Rosie Fiore, New Ideas Hour with Sarah Ann Juckes, and How To Know If Your Story Idea Is Any Good With ​​​​​​​S J Watson. And as I watched, I started forming an idea which will hopefully become my 3rd book. It’s so much easier to be creative when you’re reacting and interacting. And Jericho is the perfect place to spark your creativity, with its wonderful, ever-growing resources of videos, articles, blogs, masterclasses, courses, events, forums, groups and mentoring. Thank you so much for joining us again. We really can’t wait to read The Saved when it comes out on the 25th of January. We have one final question before you go. Last time you mentioned that you don’t quite feel like an author yet, has this changed? Ah ha, ha, haaa. ‘Feeling like a writer’ is very hard to hold onto. I feel like one when I’m in-the-flow of writing or for about ten seconds after I read a nice quote about my writing. But there are so many ups and downs in writing, that the feeling is pretty ephemeral. Hey ho. Since I’m getting into the flow of writing my next book and am seeing lots of nice quotes about my soon-to-be-published book THE SAVED, I guess I am ‘feeling like a writer’ at least some of the time. Liz Webb Liz Webb originally trained as a classical dancer, then worked as a secretary, stationery shop manager, art class model, cocktail waitress, stand-up comic, voice-over artist, script editor and radio drama producer, before becoming a novelist.  She lives in North London. Both her debut THE DAUGHTER and latest psychological thriller THE SAVED are available now. You can follow Liz on Instagram, Twitter/X and Facebook.

When you finally type those glorious words ‘THE END’ at the conclusion of your novel, your thoughts will naturally turn to how you can get it in front of readers. Advice tends to focus on two established routes: Self-publishing Getting an agent who can then submit your work to large publishers Both of these can be fine and noble routes to take, but both can also lead to disappointment. So I want to suggest that there is a third option that you can take: submitting directly to small presses. The principal advantages of small presses over self-publishing are that they should have established systems and processes in place to get your book in front of readers, and they should also take all of the financial risk for you. This is great if you don’t have the time or skills to undertake all of the publication and marketing work yourself, and also if you don’t have the money you need to stump up upfront to meet self-pub costs (cover design, editing, proof-reading, printing, marketing etc). The advantage of small presses over the agent route, is that small presses take submissions directly and so you avoid main pitfall of the ‘two-stage’ nature of the agent process: getting an agent only to find that they can’t place your book with a publisher – which happens a lot more often than many authors imagine. You might think that these advantages would mean that small presses are overwhelmed with manuscripts, and the reputable well-established presses will certainly receive a lot. But most small presses will receive fewer submissions each week than a typical agent does. My publisher for instance, Lightning Books, receives around thirty to forty submissions per week and last year published four debut novels. In contrast, an agent might receive anywhere from fifty to 150 per week, from which she will typically take on somewhere between one and three new authors a year. And remember, even if you are accepted by an agent, that is no guarantee of publication: your agent will then have to submit to publishers. If you’re accepted by a small press, you’re accepted for publication. So, statistically, submissions to small presses are more likely to lead to publication than submissions to agents. And it’s also worth remembering that, being small, there is typically a lot less administration and bureaucracy with small presses so the process from signing a publishing deal to seeing the book published is typically much shorter – usually a year (or even less) for a small press, as opposed to two years or more for a large publisher. For many writers though, the dream of being published means getting a deal with a big advance and being on the shelves (or even the display tables) of every bookshop, and that requires a deal with big publisher – which in turn first requires an agent. The assumption is that being published is far more lucrative with a big publisher than with a small one, and that you can only get a deal with one of the Big Four if you first bag an agent. I want to suggest that both of these assumptions are misplaced. Firstly, whatever you may have read about ‘six-figure advances’ in the past, even ‘Big Four’ publishers typically offer very small advances to debut novelists now, and sometimes won’t offer one at all. And, unless you are already well-known, your marketing budget is likely to be very low indeed even with a big publisher. You may well find your book being ‘held back’ in publicity campaigns behind bigger and more established authors too. So, whilst it is certainly the case that the potential for a higher profile and higher earnings are both increased with a bigger publisher, in reality there is often not a lot of difference. It is also important to point out that going with a small press does not necessarily rule out securing a bigger deal with a bigger publisher at a later date. This is not uncommon and even has its own name: the ‘stepping-stone’ strategy. An author publishes a book through a small press, and it attracts some positive coverage (maybe even an award listing or two) which inevitably attracts the attention of agents and potentially even a large publisher. The upshot author’s next book is picked up by a larger publisher. The advantage of this approach is that when you arrive at the bigger publisher, you are more likely to be considered as one of the higher profile authors who others will need to take their place in the queue behind. So it is important to say that, whilst many small press authors are happy to stay with a trusted team that they know and are comfortable with, others view their small press experience as simply another way of ultimately landing the prize they really want – a way that (unlike the agent route) means that they can get published while they’re waiting to land the big deal. For many debut novelists therefore, submitting to relevant reputable small presses is more likely to help you achieve your ultimate dream of being published than following the agent route – and may even help you to land your dream agent and/or dream publishing deal in the long run. So, how do you get published by a small press? In September 2022 I was coming to the end of the Ultimate Novel Writing Course but, despite several full manuscript requests, had not managed to sign with an agent. I didn’t want to self-publish, so what could I do? Well, what I did was submit to about a dozen small presses. Small presses (sometimes called ‘indie presses’) are traditional publishers, but they take submissions directly from authors. In effect, submitting to them cuts out the need for an agent. And it worked: I received two offers of publication and my novel, The Muse of Hope Falls, was published by Lightning Books in November 2023. I must admit, I had preconceptions about small presses so my expectations of Lightning were pretty low, and there were certainly hitches and hiccups along the way. But I have to say that overall, the process went like a dream. Lightning have a small team, but they also have established systems, processes and contacts. And when something did go wrong, they apologised immediately and worked tirelessly to put it right. Whilst they don’t have the budget or profile of a Big Four publisher, they arranged reviews and press interviews for me, and even organised my launch party, so I never felt that they were giving my book anything less than 100%. Crucially, Lightning paid for everything so none of the risk sat with me. For me, therefore, working with small presses is a viable third option for writers to consider. When thinking about submitting to a small press however, it is important that you don’t approach the process any less thoroughly than you would if you were approaching your dream agent. In broad terms this means following a process that is very similar to submitting to an agent, namely: Get your manuscript ready I mean really ready. I was fortunate to be on the Ultimate Novel Writing Course when I was submitting my novel, which meant that I got a professional manuscript assessment from my mentor Helen Francis, and I also benefitted from a couple of my course mates reading the full manuscript and offering feedback. It is essential that you have a similarly thorough approach. All the work that an agent would normally do on your behalf (and support you to do) before submitting to a publisher you’ll have to do yourself. Trust me: “It’ll do” won’t do, even – especially – with small presses. Understand your manuscript and where it sits in the marketplace You have to understand which publishers it is best to submit your manuscript to. That means understanding what type of story your novel is, who it is for, and where you would expect it to sit on the shelves of a bookshop. If you don’t understand that then you won’t know who to submit to. Identify your target small presses The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook has a section listing most publishers and the genres they publish. You need to go through this with a fine-toothed comb and pick out those publishers that are open to direct submissions. Then you need to visit their website. Each small press will usually have a submissions page which will set out the kinds of books they are looking for including any specific requirements. If you can’t see books that look like yours on it, then that may be an indication that that publisher is not the right one for you. A crucial part of the process is making a judgement about the publisher themselves. Small presses are notoriously fragile, so study the website and see how long the press has been going and how many books they’ve actually published (Lightning’s parent company have been going 27 years and publish 12-18 books every year). And don’t underestimate the difference in size and capacity between presses: some small presses will have relatively sizeable teams of paid staff. Others might really be run by hobbyists; someone trying to run a publishing company on their own in their spare time whilst still doing a paid job elsewhere. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with that, but you just need to understand what you’re signing up to and what they can realistically offer. Also pay particular attention to anything that seems to suggest that you might have to pay for the privilege of being published by them and/or which suggests that they will publish your book ‘just the way you want it’ – this is vanity publishing. Reputable traditional publishers of any size will always be clear that they will expect to work with you editorially and that ultimately, they get the final say on things such as cover design/blurb etc. Prepare bespoke submission packs The publisher’s submissions page should also set out the format that any submissions should be made in. Do not send out a generic submission pack – always follow the advice on the submissions page, even if it means extra work for you. Sometimes those fiddly little bits of extra information or formatting that a small press asks for are there specifically to see if you’ve bothered to follow their instructions. If you haven’t, then you should expect to have your submission deleted straight away without being read. One of the most crucial pieces of advice I can give is to consider carefully your use of comparison titles and, if possible, try and quote at least one example from the publisher’s own backlist.  A small press is far more likely to consider you sympathetically if you can show that you have made the effort to study their books specifically (and maybe even read a couple of them) and that you understand how you would fit in with their existing list. Small presses want to be taken seriously and they want to produce a good product. It’s crucial therefore, that you don’t cut corners either with your manuscript preparation or your submission. If you get accepted my experience is that they can offer an excellent third way to publication for those authors who haven’t yet found their niche in the traditional ‘agent-to-big-publisher’ system.

My childhood world was painted with the enchantment of books, a gift I owe to my ever-inspiring mother. The worlds and characters that came to life on the pages of my favourite fantasy novels (I particularly remember Terry Brooks’ The Sword of Shannara) transported me to places beyond my imagination.  I remember those winter evenings, under the warm covers of my bed when I passionately lived the adventures of elves, gnomes, and trolls in the woods and castles. My passion for reading has never abandoned me, and inspired by these stories, as a boy, I had a burning desire to become a writer myself. However, I soon realized that creating compelling stories was no easy task. So, I approached the study of dramaturgy, and it was only when I understood the concept of characters’ conflict that I truly understood what makes stories really work. In this article, we will explore the different types of conflicts in a story, the role of conflict in driving storytelling, and how conflict enhances character development. The role of conflict in driving storytelling Conflict is the driving force behind a story.  Without conflict, we don’t have a story. Conflict creates tension, raises stakes, and keeps readers engaged by presenting challenges the characters must overcome to change the condition of things.  Every story is the story of a change in the condition of things and of the evolution of characters during this process. There are two main types of conflicts: external conflict, which occurs when a character faces an obstacle or antagonist outside of themselves.  internal conflict, which takes place within a character’s mind and emotions. It involves the character’s struggles with their own desires, fears, or moral dilemmas.  Exploring the different types of external conflict Let’s examine some examples of external conflict and their impact on storytelling. Character vs. Character Conflict This occurs when two or more characters have opposing goals or beliefs that directly clash with one another. The clash of personalities and motivations creates tension and drives the plot forward. In Terry Brooks’ Shannara series, the protagonist must confront an antagonist who seeks to unleash dark forces upon the world. The conflict between these two characters fuels the narrative, as the protagonist must find a way to overcome their adversary and save the world from destruction. Character vs. Society Conflict This conflict occurs when a character’s desires or beliefs are at odds with the norms and expectations of the society in which they live. The character must navigate the challenges and obstacles presented by societal norms, often facing resistance and opposition. In Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, Tom, a mischievous young boy, rebels against the rules and expectations of his small town. His desire for freedom and adventure clashes with the structured society he finds himself in, leading to numerous conflicts throughout the story. Character vs. Nature Conflict Character vs. nature conflict arises when a character must battle against the elements, natural disasters, or the harsh realities of the natural world. This form of conflict highlights the character\'s vulnerability and struggle to survive and overcome the forces of nature. In Jack London’s “To Build a Fire”, the protagonist faces the brutal cold of the Alaskan wilderness. The struggle against the freezing temperatures and treacherous conditions becomes a central conflict, highlighting the fragility of human existence in the face of nature’s power. Exploring the different types of internal conflict Internal conflicts are as crucial as the external battles characters face. Let’s explore various types of internal conflicts. Character vs. Self Conflict This type of conflict occurs when a character is at odds with themselves. It may involve doubts, insecurities, or personal issues that challenge the character. This conflict often explores the deeper facets of the protagonist, leading to personal growth and self-discovery. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”, Jay Gatsby finds himself entwined in a ceaseless wrestle with his shadowy past, a consuming passion for Daisy Buchanan, and the elaborate façade he has meticulously crafted to assimilate into the upper echelons of high society. Character’s Fear vs. Ambition Conflict This conflict involves the contrast between a character’s fear or uncertainty and their ambition or goals. In the crucible of this inner turmoil, the character is compelled to confront the shadows of their own apprehensions while steadfastly pursuing their dreams and aspirations. In J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series, Harry, faced with the omnipresent dread of the evil Lord Voldemort, must summon his unwavering courage and resilience, all the while relentlessly pursuing his noble ambition to defeat the dark wizard and safeguard the wizarding world. Character’s Guilt vs. Redemption Conflict This type of conflict delves into the character’s feelings of guilt and their quest for redemption through corrective or altruistic actions. The character’s conscience becomes a battleground, tormented by the weight of remorse yet driven by a desire to atone for their past actions. In Charles Dickens’s “A Tale of Two Cities”, Sydney Carton is entwined with the theme of redemption. Consumed by the guilt stemming from his dissolute past, he is compelled to seek redemption through a singular, selfless act that will alter the course of his life and the lives of those around him.  Character’s Love vs. Ambition Conflict This conflict revolves around the intricate interplay between personal love or relationships and the pursuit of ambition, success, or revenge. The character is trapped in the conflicting currents of their heart’s desires and overarching personal goals. In Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights”, Heathcliff grapples with the relentless tempest within his soul, torn between the all-encompassing love he harbours for Catherine Earnshaw and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance against those who have inflicted deep wounds upon his spirit.  Character’s Self-Identity Crisis Conflict In this type of conflict, the character grapples with an identity crisis, embroiled in a profound struggle to fathom their true essence. This internal turmoil is frequently marked by the presence of duality or intricate layers within the character’s identity. In Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”, Dr. Jekyll confronts an identity crisis that directly results from his transformation into Mr. Hyde. This metamorphosis plunges him into an inner conflict and serves as a thought-provoking examination of the dual nature within us all. Character vs. Moral Conflict Moral conflict is a compelling form of internal conflict that explores the clash between a character’s sense of right and wrong. This conflict arises when a character faces ethical dilemmas or must make difficult choices that challenge their values and beliefs.  In “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare presents a character vs. moral conflict as the star-crossed lovers navigate their forbidden love. The conflict between their intense passion for one another and the feuding families they belong to creates a moral dilemma that drives the play\'s tragic events. How conflict enhances character development When characters face challenges and conflicts, they are forced to confront their fears, weaknesses, and flaws. This process of self-discovery and growth adds depth and complexity to the characters, making them more relatable and compelling to readers. Conflict reveals a character’s true nature. In times of crisis, characters are pushed to their limits, and their actions and choices define who they really are. For example, a character who faces a moral dilemma may reveal their values and principles through their choices. Furthermore, conflict allows characters to transform. As they navigate through challenges and overcome obstacles, characters evolve and change. They learn from their mistakes, acquire new skills, and develop resilience. This transformation adds depth to the characters and gives readers a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment. Creating compelling conflicts in your writing As a writer, to create compelling conflicts, consider the following techniques. Establish clear goals and motivations. Each character should have clear goals and motivations that conflict with those of other characters. These conflicting goals create tension and drive the plot. Raise the stakes. Make the consequences of failure high for your characters. The higher the stakes, the more invested your readers will be in the outcome of the conflict. Create complex characters. Characters should have strengths, weaknesses, and flaws that can lead to conflicts. Develop well-rounded characters with conflicting traits to generate internal conflicts. To create complex characters, you can use writing software specifically designed for character development, such as bibisco, which allows you to get to know your characters thoroughly in a fun way — by interviewing them. Introduce unexpected twists: Surprise your readers with unexpected turns of events that create new conflicts or escalate existing ones. This keeps the story unpredictable and exciting. Allow for growth and change: Conflict should lead to character growth and transformation. Characters should learn from their conflicts and evolve throughout the story. Techniques for resolving conflicts in a story While conflict drives storytelling, resolving conflicts effectively to provide a satisfying conclusion is also important. Here are some techniques. Character growth and change. Conflict should lead to character growth and change. Characters should learn from their conflicts and evolve throughout the story, meaningfully allowing them to resolve conflicts. Compromise and negotiation. Characters can resolve conflicts through compromise and negotiation, finding common ground and working towards a mutually beneficial solution. Redemption and forgiveness. Conflict resolution can also involve redemption and forgiveness. Characters may reconcile their differences and find forgiveness, leading to the resolution of conflicts. External intervention. Sometimes, conflicts require external intervention, such as the involvement of a third party or the discovery of new information that changes the dynamics of the conflict. Sacrifice and selflessness. In some cases, conflicts may be resolved through sacrifice and selflessness. Characters may put aside their desires and interests for the greater good, leading to the resolution of conflicts. Conclusion Conflict is crucial to keep readers engaged and invested in a story. It creates tension, suspense, and excitement, making readers eager to know how the conflict will be resolved.  Conflict also allows readers to connect with the characters on an emotional level as they witness their struggles, growth, and triumphs. Moreover, conflict provides readers with a sense of catharsis. As they witness characters facing and overcoming challenges, readers experience various emotions, from fear and anxiety to relief and satisfaction.  This emotional journey adds depth and richness to the reading experience, making the story more memorable and impactful.

We were thrilled to chat to author Freya Berry about her second book, The Birdcage Library, and hear all about how she quit her job to write her first book and how she ended up meeting her agent at our Festival of Writing. Thank you so much for catching up with us, in midst of what we expect is a very busy time for you. I sort of been recovering since The Birdcage Library came out on the 22nd (June), and I\'ve just been trying to lie down in a dark room. I always feel like publishing a book is slightly like a slow motion nervous breakdown, so it\'s nice to be sort of blinking in the daylight again. And yeah, getting back to my normal life and thinking about book three. After your well-deserved rest, what is next on the horizon? So I had to book contracts with The Dictator’s Wife and the and The Birdcage Library, I\'m sort of coming out of that for the first time since my career started. I\'ve got the idea for the third book, which I\'ve been working out with my agent, and next it’ll be taking it to my editor and seeing what she thinks and all that absolutely not nerve wracking stuff. Can you tell me a little bit about how your first book came about? So I used to work in journalism and now I think I really love taking fact and making that into fiction. The Birdcage Library is based on real life people, real life animal dealers who lived in New York in the Gilded Age and the Dictator\'s Wife is very much based on real life dictator\'s wives and those kind of people. So, I was working in journalism and realized that wasn\'t for me. I preferred making stuff up (to a point). So, I gave myself a year to write a book. I had been working in journalism for about four years and I spent a year and a half of that writing a first novel, which was terrible. I\'ve never gotten back to it. But I think it was a good way to understand what the process involves, at least. I sent that novel out to a few agents not really knowing what I was doing and I got some feedback which was really helpful. It kind of made me understand that the book was never going to work. I kind of knew that, but it was helpful in encouraging me to try again. So, I quit my job. I gave myself a year. I lived off savings and was able to live my parents’ house for a few months. That’s amazing, such a brave move. There was this one amazing agent who gave me pages of feedback, which was unbelievably kind of him. And so that did make me think that maybe this is something that I could do. I also spent a hell of a lot of time agonizing with myself. Should I quit my job to write? You can sort of reverse engineer it to make it sound like it was a plan, but it was a massive chance to give myself a definitive amount of time to do it. I’d saved up but it was definitely a leap of faith. It was a good thing I didn’t know what I was doing otherwise it would have been too scary!So I took that year out, I just been reporting on the 2016 US election, which was obviously the one where Trump won for the first time, and it was Melania Trump, this sort of fake news concept and what is truth and so on, that became the roots of The Dictator\'s Wife. I didn\'t know what I was going to write before I decided to quit, it just grew out of that experience. I wanted to set the Dictator\'s Wife in a fictional eastern European country where I had spent a bit of time in the past. I went back and I spent four months researching.I turned up in Bucharest in February. There was snow on the ground, it was ten o’clock at night and my Airbnb host was late arriving and I thought what am I doing? As I was waiting in this dark stairwell for him to turn up, he arrived and said ‘I\'m so sorry. I\'ve just been to the protest.’ It turned out they were having the biggest protest they\'d ever had since 1989 that night. So I went along with him and 300,000 people in the square chanting against the government and ended up in an underground bar in this abandoned palace. It became a protest scene in the book and was a real instigating moment for that whole process. So, I was in Eastern Europe for four months, writing every day and talking to people and learning about the area and immersing myself. After about four or five months, I had that first draft. I did another two or three drafts before I signed. I thought I\'ve taken it as far as I could go. And that was around the time that I found the Festival of Writing. I came up to York and scoped out which agents I was interested in and one of my one-to-ones was with James Wills. Then he became my agent. So, York was really integral to that. It got a couple of other offers from agents at that festival too. It was a real turning point for me to be able to feel like this is a real thing. Amazing. So, you met with James for your one-to-one, can you tell us how the other offers came about? Yes, so I sent I sent James and a couple of the other agents who were interested the full manuscript. James had read the first chapter already and the others I pitched to while I was there. That’s amazing. So, you pitched agents whilst you were at the Festival of Writing? I think the good thing about being a journalist is you have to be utterly shameless in going up to people. So I think that was quite helpful. I think writing, as I\'ve learned, is more about hustling than you think. If you can go up to people, be nice and not aggressive, just to tell them in a few words whether it might be something they might be interested in, I think that\'s a really helpful skill to develop. So, I went up to a couple of agents who liked the sound of it and they asked for the full manuscripts and I got a couple of offers off the back of that. But James seemed to really get the vision and we aligned. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for those conversations! How do you go up to an agent and pitch in person? I perfected a little elevator pitch. What it is at the heart of this book and what makes it unique. The art of the sell is very different obviously to what you\'re writing. So, it\'s just kind of understanding what is important about your story and taking enough of a step back to understand the things that make people go, ‘ooh.’ It can be really hard to distil a 90,000 word novel into a sentence or two, removing things you have your heart set on. I think agents do understand that they\'re not getting the full book in the sentence. For example, I think for The Dictator\'s Wife, my pitch was - dictator’s wife stands trial for her dead husband\'s crimes and weaves a web of secrets and lies around her young female defence lawyer - or something like that. And The Birdcage Library was: an adventuress discovers an old diary hidden in the walls of a Scottish castle which contains clues about this woman who vanished 50 years before, or something like that. Can you tell us more about what happened after you signed with your agent? Yeah, with, with my agent, we worked on the Dictator\'s Wife for a good year. There\'s no guarantees in this industry and so my work was very much focused on getting the manuscript to where it needs to be. And then James took the book and pitched it to editors. What advice would you give to writers? It’s interesting to hear you wrote an entire book before The Dictator’s Wife. I didn’t expect how much perseverance it takes to get a book published. You read the stories of people who say that they wrote a book on a whim, sent it off and got fifteen offers by the next morning. From the vast number of writers I\'ve spoken to, that is not representative. I’m grateful that I didn’t know how long and arduous the process would be before I started. It’s really important to be honest with yourself and make your book the best it can be. After I got an agent, I rewrote the entire book from third person to the first person. I remember it so well! I literally opened up a blank document next to the manuscript and just started. You just can’t give up, that is the biggest differentiator. It might not be the first book or the second, but it’s just the people who don’t give up and are prepared to go through that mill who make it. It is the only industry that I’ve ever encountered that talks about ‘positive rejections’ which tells you everything! It’s hard to put yourself out there. And then afterwards, it’s easy to say well done to you for coming through it. But at the time, no one is cheering you on, it’s only you and your self-belief, and hopefully your friends and family. It’s a big thing and I think anyone who is doing it is really brave and should feel loads of self-respect for themselves. No one will make you do it but that’s sort of the joy and the terror of it. Freya Berry studied English Literature at Cambridge. She graduated with a double first and worked as a financial and political journalist at Reuters and the Daily Mail in London and New York. Her debut novel The Dictator\'s Wife was featured on the BBC\'s Between the Covers and was The New European\'s novel of the year. Her second, The Birdcage Library, is a story about an adventuress, part-based on her namesake Freya Stark. Freya lives in London. Freya’s second novel, The Birdcage Library, is out now.

We caught up with Hamish to chat all about his whirlwind journey to publication that involved an exciting three-book deal with Pan Macmillan and selling the film rights. But these things don’t happen overnight. To understand how Hamish go to where he is today, we have to go back to the beginning. JW: Hi Hamish, congratulations on such an exciting book deal. Can you tell us a little about your path to publication? In March of 2020, Boris Johnson announced the first lockdown of the UK to prevent the spread of the Covid 19 virus and the business world that I was a part of shrugged its shoulders and carried on. At the time, I was working in the retail sector and shops remained open so Head Office and other functions found ways for the long working days to continue via endless Zoom calls. By the end of the year, the seriousness of the pandemic had become apparent and the restrictions had become more stringent and so for the first time in thirty years, I found myself at home without a full schedule of meetings and an angry inbox brimming with unread messages. This was quite refreshing for a couple of days and then as the novelty wore off, I found myself wandering around the house looking for things to do. The inbox was clear, the impossible to-do list had vanished and an idea that had been lurking in the back of my mind since my school days began to take shape. It was Boxing Day 2020 and I came to breakfast refreshed and alive with energy. “I am going to write a book!” I announced victoriously (I may have used the word bestselling in this sentence). My wife and children laughed. It was the first of many reality checks that would happen over the next three years in navigating the very unique and often frustrating world of publishing a novel. So, at aged 48, equipped with my ‘B’ in A-Level English and a huge pile of books that I had read over the years, my plan was set; I would dash off a beautiful manuscript, sent it off to a big publisher  and wait for the seven-figure advance cheque to arrive in the post. My only dilemma was whether to have Bollywood star Deepika Padukone in the lead role for the film or let the big guns from LA fight it out for Hollywood. This was the start of my historical series The Harveen Gill Mysteries.  My solution to this impossible problem was simple. Cheat. As the story began to take shape, I started looking into the process of getting my book published and realised that major book companies would not accept an unsolicited manuscript. It would have to be submitted by a reputable agent and it appeared that getting such an agent would be a task in itself.  The best agents seemed to be getting hundreds of queries a week and response times went from non-existent to many, many months. Some analysis of deals announced over the last two years would suggest that authors with a South Asian background account for a little over 2% of all deals and historical fiction as a category accounts for around 3% of deals. I would be shooting at a pretty small target. My solution to this impossible problem was simple. Cheat. I looked for a writing community that would help to fill in all gaps in my knowledge and skill set. Joining Jericho Writers was an important step in this process. It allowed me to access comprehensive information on editing, refining my query and getting an agent without having to take the scary step of actually talking to someone (we writers can be a pretty reclusive group).  I used the Jericho Writers agent 1-2-1 service to better understand what agents were looking for, and then used my own network to find people who were in the book industry.  I found that by being brave and telling people  about my journey and asking for help, a number of introductions happened that led to both the agents  that I worked with including the lovely Jane Compton who secured my deal. Initially, The Muziris Empire, at 130k words, received detailed and mostly enthusiastic responses, editors taking time to explain why they were passing, but passing nonetheless. Entering competitions, working with a couple of beta readers and then finding an editor, the wonderful Holly Domney, who transformed the manuscript into a tight, all-action, historical adventure at just under 100k words. The second round of submissions to publishers went much wider, to major publishers from both India and the USA as well as the UK. We had strong interest from the start resulting in a number of interested parties and a pre-empt from Pan Macmillan India into what had become a three-book series. Looking back, there are so many things that I didn’t know at the start of the process and kind people that helped me along the way, so I am always keen to help other along their journey, especially those from traditionally underrepresented parts of the writing community. JW: Is there anything you wish you knew before becoming a published author? Looking back, there are so many things that I didn’t know at the start of the process that I wish I had. If you’re a writer, my advice is to: Get out to live events. The writing community is generally open and supportive, I found that meeting people really helped me on my journey. Join a writing community, ideally that has members that write in your chosen genre as they all have nuances. Historical fiction writers talk about the joys of deep research, staying true to history, best publishers for the category and other things that may not be relevant for YA writers for example. Enter competitions, especially those that give feedback. Writers often complain about the lack of agent comments on rejections. For many reasons this type of feedback can be misleading. Better sources of constructive advice can come from competitions, betas and writing groups. Get busy on socials: follow writers, agents, publishers. Do interact with their posts. Do not slide into their DM’s asking for help with your project straight away! It’s a great source of information and upcoming events. Refine and edit your manuscript. I have recently blogged about the query trenches and why writers may get into a loop of sending out the same query over and over. It took me many versions of both manuscript and query letter to get it right. Eventually I worked with the amazing Holly Domney on a developmental edit which really opened my eyes to some ways to improve the book. Submit to agents/publishers outside of the UK. AgentMatch is a great resource to find potential agents, looking at the latest #MSWL on X also put me in touch with some great people. My deal was sold outside the UK.Read, read and read. There is so much to learn from what is being published. Find your own routine and be kind to yourself. Lots of authors advocate for writing so many words a day and at set times. Everyone has a unique life situation and to be the most productive and creative, I think your writing needs to fit in with that. Don’t beat yourself up using someone else’s yardstick! Keep going, it can be a long process but, I believe in you. Many kind people helped me along the way, so I am always keen to help others along their journey, especially those from traditionally underrepresented parts of the writing community. About Hamish Hamish Morjaria was born and brought up in North London. Having spent three decades in the business world, working for leading brands and retailers, he finally indulged his passion for ancient history and fast-paced thrillers to create The Harveen Gill Mysteries. When not writing, Hamish can be found watching cricket or walking his dog Simba during the day, and sitting in front of the fire with a cup of tea and a good book in the evening. Hamish lives with his wife Kalpa, two children and dog in Buckinghamshire. You can find more about Hamish on his website here or keep up with him on X/Twitter and Instagram. About the Harveen Gill Mysteries series An edge-of-the-seat trilogy rooted in ancient Indian history that blends conspiracy theories and ancient secrets as ambitious Indian archaeologist Dr Harveen Gill races against time to make the discovery of a lifetime. But there are greater powers at play, watching her every move. As she pursues the fame and glory she craves, how much is Harveen ready to risk? The Muziris Empire is the first book in the series and is slated for a summer 2024 publication. The Da Vinci Code meets The Magicians of Mazda in this enthralling alchemy of mythology, science, religion and cryptography, told across three interweaving perspectives, moving back and forth in time and set in present-day Kerala, which was once home to the ancient city of Muziris.

We caught up with Nitin Lakhani, Simply Self-Publish course alum and Jericho Writers member to celebrate the release of his debut novel Lalji\'s Nairobi and hear about his journey to publication. JW: Can you tell us a little bit about the process your book went through from writing the first draft, through to publication? I came to writing quite late after retiring from medical practice in the NHS. My first novel, ‘Lalji’s Nairobi’ had a long incubation period as I wanted to write it from when I was a teenager, the story being loosely based on my grandfather’s life story. It is a story of four young men who leave Gujarat as economic migrants to escape famines and high taxes under the British Raj. Led by Lalji they travel across the ocean and arrive in British East Africa where their skills are required but the politics is against them. Lalji, their leader, chose to put roots down inland in Nairobi which at that time was a small market town. Through sheer determination and strong business abilities, Lalji achieves success against difficult odds. It is a ‘rags to riches’ tale with unexpected danger that puts Lalji’s success at risk when he is at his most vulnerable. JW: Can you tell us a little bit about the process your book went through from writing the first draft, through to publication? Although I started with a story ‘in me’ it is fair to say I had little confidence or knowledge of how to go about publishing it. I was certain I wanted to self-publish as I saw many advantages there compared to the traditional route, especially as I knew my novel was going to be different from other historical novels. My initial research led me to join Jericho Writers on a monthly subscription to see what I made of the writing world. I was inspired by one of Harry’s blogs where he encouraged budding authors to start writing and worry less about issues like genre. His stance was to get writing and doing it well. Then edit the book to near perfection before pitching or self-publishing. Before I started putting any words down I spent umpteen hours researching. That was an essential step to ensure accuracy, especially for a historical novel. By the time I had finished my manuscript - accelerated by the pandemic lockdown - I was ready to have it read by an author. Here, Jericho Writers helped identify an experienced manuscript reader. The next step was to immerse myself in polishing the plot, cleaning up the text and cycles of self-editing. All this required my personal input before engaging a copy editor. So far so good. However, the area that was most challenging, of which I had little knowledge, was the world of self-publishing. I read and listened to self-published authors and I was convinced it was the right way for my novel. But there was a steep learning curve, especially if one wanted to do it properly and do it well. That’s when I decided to do the Jericho Writers Simply Self-Publish course. The course over ten weeks covered the full breadth of how to get self-published. Debbie Young runs the carefully crafted course with talks, discussions and homework which are available for future reference. There is a lot to learn to self-publish successfully and Debbie’s excellent course set me firmly on the right path. Her feedback and encouragement on a personal level were particularly helpful for me. JW: Sounds like it was a lengthy process, did you lose heart at any stage? The process could have been shorter if I had been more engaged, and perhaps more disciplined. But I also found going away from writing for spells helped me regain my creative drive. Similarly, I did not mind starting the self-publishing course after the final draft was complete. And no, I did not lose heart! Writing is so engaging. Knowing you are producing something original which hopefully others will enjoy spurs you on. JW: You were developing your craft for several years before you were published, is there anything you found particularly useful on your journey? Two things come to mind immediately. Firstly, research, which was great fun. I could lose myself for hours on a subject. It was all quite relevant to get a feel for the period even if I did not use individual pieces. Secondly, the talks and material on the Jericho Writers site. The wealth of material on the site is fantastic. For a budding author, the content by experienced authors, agents and publishers in one place is a great boon. JW: What advice would you give to writers working on their first draft? I am not sure I am qualified to give advice! But seriously, the advice I received and which helped me most was what I gained from the talks and reading on the JW site. Secondly, your writing environment is also unique like your book. How, when and where you write must feel right for you. Get all the externals right so that you can be in an undistracted and comfortable place with your writing. Changing the environment is allowed but always make sure everything feels right and distractions are avoided. JW: You mentioned you first thought about writing what would become ‘Lalji’s Nairobi’ when you were a teenager. After having spent years working on the story, spending infinite amounts of time with your protagonist, and waking up sporadically in the middle of the night with edit ideas – how did you know it was time to publish? Isn’t it strange about the middle of the night gems? After re-editing multiple times, you realise further editing reduces the returns, and it is time for a copy edit. That break from self-editing I found therapeutic. In my case, it prepared me to be able to look at the copy-edited version with fresher eyes. Then it was a case of engaging a cover and internal designer which was the fun part. JW: Can you let us know what are you working on now? Firstly, a long trip to North America which I had promised my wife before Covid. Her patience, support and encouragement kept me going. I would like to see how ‘Lalji’s Nairobi’ is received before deciding on my next venture. Writing is a lonely occupation and feedback is important for all of us. I expect that will help crystallise what comes next. About Nitin Nitin is a historical novelist who came to writing his debut novel after retiring as a doctor. Born in Kenya before its independence he came to England at the age of fifteen. His parentage is Indian, his grandfather having moved during the British Raj from Gujarat in India to Colonial East Africa as an economic migrant. His debut novel, Lalji\'s Nairobi, was released in the summer of 2023 and is available from Amazon Books and Waterstones.

Tropes can be easily overdone, but when applied with care, they can enhance your writing and engage your readers. In this article, I\'ll discuss the definition of the term trope, describe the most predominant tropes in sci-fi, and explain how you can utilise tropes in your science fiction novel. What Is A Trope? A trope is a common, recognisable plot feature, theme, and/or premise that recurs throughout a certain genre or subgenre. Science fiction as a genre is over 200 years old, so there are many sci-fi tropes to choose from. Tropes are sometimes considered cliché, but if you use them effectively (or add in a twist to keep your readers on their toes) they can help develop and strengthen your story. Top Sci-Fi Tropes Here are 25 of the most common, and interesting, science fiction tropes. Time Sci-Fi Tropes Time is a key theme and concept in science fiction, as characters often travel backwards and forwards in time, lose their sense of time, and try not to alter various timelines. Alternate History This trope has been used with increasing frequency in recent years. An alternate history can involve one specific adjustment to past events (such as if women had been granted the right to vote 20 years earlier) or a myriad of them which all add up to create a society that\'s recognisable, though distinctly different from our own. Using an alternate history can enable you to add lots of different themes to your work, explore the ramifications of making one or several adjustments, and highlight the fact that every action and event affects the ones that follow it. Parallel Universe This is different from an alternate history, as parallel worlds involve different universes and events that are often happening concurrently, and sometimes feature various versions of each individual. Your characters may even be able to travel between these universes. Whereas, with alternative universes/alternate histories, some of the specifics of a universe have been changed, but the rest is the same, and these two universes are separate entities that do not co-exist. Time Paradox A time paradox is a classic for a reason. If your characters are travelling through time, any actions they take may alter the past and have unforeseen consequences in the future. This trope has to be intricately woven into the story, as every minute action your characters make will have a cumulative effect, and readers will enjoy looking back at all the clues indicating that things are going wrong. A Time Loop The trope in which the main characters in a story get stuck in a time loop has become increasingly popular over the past few years and has featured in quite a few recent science fiction films. This often revolves around characters repeating the same day over and over until they\'ve resolved any unfinished business they had, changed their ways, or dealt with a serious life-threatening obstacle. Many of them feature some kind of time machine or portal that is the key to the characters returning to their daily lives once they\'ve resolved the issue that\'s forced them into time purgatory. It can be easy for these stories to feel a little repetitive, so try to ensure that you\'re still moving the story forward and adding interesting elements to keep your readers engaged. Science And Technology Sci-Fi Tropes Sci-fi classics, like Star Trek, often explore our relationship with science and technology, as new discoveries alter our perception of reality. Mad Scientist The mad scientist trope is a much beloved one and is frequently used in sci fi. While the outdated term \'mad\' is inaccurate and cruel, the meaning behind the phrase is still valid. This trope generally refers to scientists with ideas that far exceed others\' understandings, causing them to be teased until the inevitable revelation that they were right all along. Though they often struggle to come to terms with the unforeseen consequences of their discoveries. This trope goes hand in hand with all sorts of hijinks, miscommunications, foreshadowing, and character development, so it\'s one that you can really have fun with. Genetic Modification Genetic modification is the kind of trope that you can hang your entire plot upon, or use to enrich your world-building. This trope may involve the creation of new creatures, parents having the capacity to alter their childrens\' genes before birth, or a world in which your status is determined by how \'perfect\' your genes are (as only the wealthy can afford to alter them). There\'s certainly a lot to explore with this trope. Artificial Intelligence Untrustworthy artificial intelligence is a trope that was once scary in a hypothetical sense but is now eerily edging closer to our own reality. This can involve robots that no longer follow commands, AI that is trying to replace and eliminate humans, or robots/machines that are becoming sentient and are being held captive by humans. This evokes lots of themes about philosophy, morality, free will, consciousness, and what it means to be human. It also explores the rapid growth of technology, and how it can have both profoundly wonderful and irreversibly detrimental effects. Cloning Cloning is another trope which brings up issues of ethics, morality, and philosophy. There are lots of options in terms of who is doing the cloning (scientists, aliens, robots etc.) and who is being cloned. Nuance is important here, as if one of your characters is suddenly extremely apathetic when they\'re usually incredibly enthusiastic, your readers will catch on quickly, and they won\'t have the chance to slowly unravel the puzzle you\'ve created. Think about how you can use clones in an unusual way. Perhaps the clone only goes out at night, so it takes a while for them to be spotted. Or maybe they lurk in your protagonist\'s home while they\'re out at work. Teleportation Teleportation as a regular mode of travel is one sci-fi trope that many of us wouldn\'t mind making into a reality. Though, of course, there would be implications to teleporting everywhere. Perhaps humans\' legs are growing weaker as a result, or the government is charging a high toll fee for people who teleport to places outside a 20-mile radius. You could also think of interesting ways in which your characters can teleport. Do they flash neon purple for a second as they teleport? Or perhaps they freeze for half a second before they disappear. Creating Monsters This harks back to the classic horror/science fiction of Frankenstein, wherein a scientific breakthrough goes awry, and a scientist unintentionally wreaks havoc on themselves and the world. Fun. You could tie this into AI, medical advancements, or new technologies, and play around with your monsters\' horrifying abilities and skills. Government Surveillance This is another sci-fi trope that\'s becoming uncomfortably close to our reality. You could make this something that a few people know about, or implement it so that it\'s a part of daily life in the world you\'ve created. You could have the government employ one or two surveillance tactics, like facial recognition being installed on all public cameras; or you could decide that the government tracks people\'s locations, finances, healthcare data, internet usage, and every other conceivable thing. Using this trope, and writing about it, may end up terrifying you as much as it will your future readers. Organ Harvesters Lots of sci-fi and speculative fiction stories depict fictional worlds in which human resources are running low, and so those higher up in the hierarchical structure receive more access to them. In darker sci-fi tales, this can involve organ harvesters who track people down to steal their organs. This often occurs in post-apocalyptic narratives which take place in already dire circumstances. Everything Is A Simulation This particular trope can easily veer into being cliche, especially if it\'s used as a plot twist right at the end of the story. If you\'re working up to the revelation that the events of your story are all part of a simulation, try to include lots of hints leading up to it, and make sure that it\'s an interesting addition to the story, rather than something that the whole framework of your book hinges upon. Ideally, your book should still make sense even without this revelation. Alternatively, you could have some of your characters aware that they exist in a simulation (think The Matrix) while others are totally unaware, which would enable you to really utilise dramatic irony. Space Sci-Fi Tropes With the popularity of space operas such as Star Wars, space-related topics and tropes are generally predominant in science fiction. Space Pirates Space pirates are the ideal characters to turn to if you want your characters\' trip to space to come with a little chaos. Like their seafaring compatriots, space pirates steal and capture other vehicles (in this case, spacecrafts) and they may kidnap, enslave, or even kill the passengers and crewmembers on the spacecrafts they take over. Wormholes Wormholes are another satisfying science fiction trope, though try not to rely on them too heavily. Wormholes are portals that allow you to travel to different dimensions, and they can be an interesting addition to your story both in allowing your characters to make progress on their journeys and in acting as an obstacle if they suddenly stop working, disappear, or if only some characters know how to navigate them. They can be the tool used by your antagonist to help them ensure they\'re always one step ahead of your main characters. Or perhaps they explain why one of the characters suddenly has access to technology and rare plants that the other characters have never even heard of. Not only can you toy around with the types of dimensions your characters enter, but also what the wormholes themselves look like. Are they disguised as billboards? Or perhaps every broken swing in a public park is a well-hidden portal. Lost In Space Another frequently used sci-fi trope (often utilised in sci-fi movies too), is the notion of being lost in space. This can refer to an entire spacecraft, an astronaut that\'s accidentally left behind, or any other scenario you can concoct. The focus here is usually on survival, the desire to return home (if, in your story, Earth is still there/at all hospitable), and navigating any extraterrestrial conflicts. Alien Sci-Fi Tropes Space and aliens often go hand in hand, and in your story, you get to decide whether aliens are technologically advanced allies or the species set upon destroying humanity. Aliens Crash Landing The alien crash landing is perhaps the most ubiquitous of all sci-fi tropes. This startling event is often witnessed by a child, elderly person, or someone with a very active imagination, as it is generally believed to be a falsehood until people are met with the irrefutable truth. You could twist this by having a parent trying to convince their child of this unexpected occurrence, or having someone who\'s very logical and trustworthy witness it. This trope often goes hand in hand with a mysterious overnight abduction. Alien Invasion The classic conflict of humans vs. aliens is at the heart of many hard science fiction stories. You could write about a world in which aliens have already completely invaded Earth, and humans are forming underground groups as they plan to fight back. Or you could start your book right as the alien invasion begins, and have some territories remain under human control. With this trope, there\'s often a discrepancy between the more advanced technology and resources aliens have and what humans possess in comparison, so lots of other tropes weave into this one nicely. An Alien Signal From Space Having your characters hear an alien signal from space is a great way to start a story. Especially if it\'s the first contact humans have made with aliens. This trope is particularly effective with soft science fiction, as you can explore the aliens\' capabilities, and build up to a potential meeting, adding in elements of space travel and the potential limits of our own technology as you go. General Sci-Fi Tropes There are so many different subgenres and themes in the sci-fi realm, and these tropes can help you explore a different side of your story. Survivalism Survivalism is a trope that was once exceedingly popular but is now a little less common. This trope refers to characters being stranded somewhere (perhaps on a foreign planet) or existing in a post-apocalyptic universe where survival is their biggest obstacle. Searching for sustenance, finding shelter and a place to rest, and determining whether or not there are any nearby predators are just a few of the things they\'ll prioritise as they navigate unfamiliar terrain. Resilience, adaptability, and the power of hope are all themes which this trope draws from. Utopia Utopias are science fiction tropes that aren\'t utilised as much as the others. Idealised utopian worlds are often universes where things like racism, homophobia, sexism, and capitalism have been eradicated. The conflict here could arise from the early stages of development, where these enhancements are being gradually integrated into society. Or, as is most popular, the main issue could be that life in this world isn\'t quite as perfect as it seems. Dystopia The utopia\'s opposite and adversary, dystopian worlds are such popular sci-fi tropes that they\'ve become a subgenre in their own right. In this world, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, and life is extremely bleak. To some, this reassures people that things could always be worse. For others, it\'s just a reminder of how terrible life can be. If you\'re in the latter camp, and your book\'s heading in a dystopian direction, might I suggest that you have a list of your favourite songs/things/TV shows etc. to hand so that you aren\'t constantly in a sombre mindset during the writing process. Immortality The theme of immortality is present throughout many sci-fi stories, as science fiction authors explore their interpretations of an immortal being. It may be that your book features evil aliens who are unfortunately immortal, immortality is achieved by implanting human brains into robot forms, or, in relation to the genetic modification trope, scientists are manipulating genes in an attempt to create infallible immortal beings. A Human Gains Superpowers A much-beloved trope, a human gaining superpowers after being exposed to an alien substance, radiation, or some other species or powerful force, serves as a great inciting incident for your story. People love an underdog, and with this trope, there\'s plenty of room for character development, and you can explore the everyday version of your protagonist as well as their superhero alter ego. Plus, you can experiment with the kinds of abilities your character has at their disposal, from super speed to psychic powers, and from the ability to heal people to superhuman strength. Post-Apocalyptic Worlds Multiple science fiction/dystopian films, TV shows, books, video/virtual reality games and other storytelling formats feature post-apocalyptic worlds. These often take place in the near future, after an environmental collapse, nuclear war, the effects of climate change, a mutant virus/bacteria, alien invasion, or the infiltration of various artificial intelligences etc. Post-apocalyptic worlds are also likely to feature desolate landscapes, totalitarian governments/leadership, government surveillance, and some kind of developing uprising/resistance. How To Use Sci-Fi Tropes In Your Writing So, now you know some of the most interesting and commonly used science fiction tropes, it\'s time to think about how you can apply them to your own writing. Here are our top tips for using sci-fi tropes: Don\'t overload your book with tropes- focus on just a few tropes that will genuinely add to your story and engage your readers Don\'t feel you have to use any tropes at all- tropes are useful devices, but only include them if it makes sense to do so; if you add them in because you think you have to it\'ll seem forced Think about how your chosen trope is typically used, and see if you can find a way to subvert the norm Combine genres- you could use a trope from a common subgenre of sci-fi (like dystopian fiction) and blend it with another genre; perhaps your protagonist ends up in a parallel world wherein their sister is a powerful sorcerer Create Your Alternate Universe Tropes aren\'t inherently good or bad, it\'s all about how you use them. Experiment with different tropes, see what works best for your story and characters, and focus on the execution. It may be that researching different tropes prompts you to look into related topics that intrigue you, and soon you\'ll be adding a whole host of other planets, wormholes, or aliens to your work in progress.

We caught up with Helen Parusel, a Self-Edit Your Novel course alum and Jericho Writers member (who\'s also used our AgentMatch and editorial services) to hear about her journey to publication. JW: We’re so pleased to hear your debut A Mother’s War was published with Boldwood Books recently. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your writing journey that led you up to this point?   I come from London but have been living in Hamburg, Germany for over 25 years. Like so many of us, I always wanted to write a book, but there never seemed an appropriate time in daily life. In order to avoid empty nest syndrome when my daughter left home to study, I decided that was the moment to start my writing journey. But how? I had no formal writing qualifications, had never had anything published and had no idea what skills were required to actually write a novel. Stumbling around the internet I came across Jericho Writers and that changed everything. Working my way through every teaching video available, I studied the craft of writing and learnt about the fascinating world of publishing. I completed a novel and using the Jericho Writers AgentMatch service, I started the tortuous process of submission. I didn’t receive a full manuscript request but one particular encouraging response from an agent at Curtis Brown inspired me to keep going. When lockdown arrived I joined a Curtis Brown Creative online writing course. By this time I had a new idea for a book, and the manuscript I worked on with Curtis Brown became A Mother’s War which was published in May. JW: Can you tell us a little bit about the process your book went through from writing the first draft, through to publication? I sent out my manuscript on submission, again using AgentMatch. This time, I received a full request. The agent felt it wasn’t quite ready and kindly gave me detailed feedback. She also invited me to resubmit. Not wanting to mess up this amazing opportunity, I decided I needed a professional manuscript assessment and turned to Jericho Writers. I read the profiles of their editors and came across Clare Coombes of the Liverpool Literary Agency. Amongst the things that attracted me to Clare was her love of WW2, historical fiction which was the genre of my novel. Clare did a detailed, brilliant assessment which shone with knowledge and passion for the genre. She also loved my book! After a couple of video calls and numerous emails, she offered me representation; an unbelievable and wonderful moment. After that, things moved very fast. We edited for about six weeks and Clare submitted to about 12 publishers. Within three months I had a publishing deal! JW: You were developing your craft for several years before you were published, is there anything you found particularly useful on your journey? Definitely being part of a writing community such as Jericho Writers. The support, feedback and friendships are invaluable. Also a shout out for Debi Alper’s incredible Self-Edit Your Novel Course, and of course for Clare’s astute manuscript assessment. JW: Were there any surprises along the way? Or perhaps anything you wished you had known earlier, or been prepared for? I was stunned how many times a book is edited before it goes to print! I also didn’t realise I would be working on three books at once: marketing the one out now, finishing book two, and starting book three. It is all very intense, but I love it and am very grateful to have this opportunity. JW: What advice would you give to writers working on their first draft? Every writer has to find a way that works for them. Some throw out a messy first draft and just get the words down, others like me edit as they go. But what I would suggest is getting feedback and another perspective on your work, either through the Jericho Writers community or an online writing group. No one needs to write in isolation. JW: We understand A Mother’s War is part of an exciting three-book deal with Boldwood Books. Can you let us know what are you working on now? I have just submitted book two to my editor which is another WW2 story, this one set at the time of Austria’s annexation with Germany. Like my first book, it contains themes of romance, resistance and impossible choices. About Helen Helen is from London and now lives in Hamburg Germany with her husband, daughter and rescue dog. After giving English lessons to retired Germans for twenty years, she became intrigued by many of their wartime stories which has inspired her writing. Helen’s childhood summer holidays were spent with family in Austria and she draws on her experiences for her second book. Her debut novel, A Mother\'s War, was released in the summer of 2023. You can follow Helen on Twitter and Instagram.

If writing the first word, of the first line, of the first page of a book is akin to planting a seed, then preparing a manuscript for publication is similar to getting ready to harvest a crop. Gardening and writing can both feel like rather solitary pursuits at times, can’t they? Editors pop up at just the right moment and advise on nurturing and harvesting that precious manuscript ‘crop’. Why Hire A Book Editor?  For me, an editor has always got to be a human being. Google ‘how to find an editor’, however, and the first thing offered will almost certainly be a glitzy editing software package. These can be useful in certain circumstances, especially if your writing requires nuts and bolts work on spelling and grammar, but they can also be confusing to use. Before you splash out on anything new and costly, be sure that you are already using all the automated editing features available on your existing software. Software can never empathise. Software will never praise you for writing something which sings, nor ask you questions to help it understand what it is you mean.  For me, at times of stress or difficult choices in life, nothing beats having a calm, empathetic (yet objective) person at your side. There can be an adrenaline slump after that ‘whoop, whoop, I’ve finished my first draft!’ moment when you realise that the editing process means, in a way, starting all over again. Your editor should provide you with guidance, support and inspiration in equal measure.   Our very first editors tend to come free within our family. For young writers, this kind of uber-positive (‘simply wonderful, darling…’) feedback is essential in building confidence and self-esteem, but most writers quickly grow to require something more objective.  From there, people often refer to beta readers or book editors (or both) to help them further enhance their books. I try to be as encouraging yet constructive as possible when I am editing. I am working, for example, with a young and promising neurodiverse writer whose mother is concerned about the intensely macabre biographical content of her work. Up to this point in her writing life, her mum has been her greatest fan, so this dissent has come as a nasty shock to them both. My client is maturing fast as a writer and developing a remarkable authorial voice. It may not be one which her mother recognises or wants to hear, but her mother does not represent the extensive target market for the book in question. An editor can see all this; and can reassure both parties and move them forward.   What Does A Book Editor Do?  A good editor (and yes, there are bad ones out there too) should read a manuscript objectively while wearing a few different hats: that of a future reader, of course, but those of a potential publisher or agent too. An editor should also be able to ‘get inside your head’ to a degree: to understand what it is you are trying to achieve, even if you have not yet quite got there.   It is essential to be clear in your mind if you hire an editor that you are not paying them to tell you that your book is utterly marvellous. You are paying them to tell you the truth and to help you make it more publishable.   How To Decide What Kind Of Editing You Need There are some confusing terms used to describe the many different types of book editing services which it may be helpful to explain here.   Line Editing Line editing means that your editor will read your text carefully, line by line, looking at how your text flows, your narrative style, and whether or not it is readable. Line editing is more about making sure each sentence works and less about the ‘big picture’.  You could opt for this service if you have written your manuscript – or part of it – as a bit of a stream of consciousness and you are now unsure what it is you have, or where to go or what to do with it next.   Developmental Editing If, however, you think that your book is ‘almost there’ but lacks something fundamental that you cannot quite pinpoint, then developmental editing might be for you. This takes a step back from your completed manuscript and considers the overall structure: your content, plot, characters, and timeframe, for example. Does it all combine into a convincing, compelling read? A developmental editor will make recommendations on how to rework any weaker sections for improvement, often giving you specific examples.   I tend to provide a bit of both line editing and developmental editing in my own reports. For example, I recently edited an excellent manuscript where a compelling plot was marred by an important secondary character lacking entirely in motivation for their actions (which would fall under developmental editing). I was able to demonstrate this by highlighting plot weaknesses and unconvincing dialogue and suggesting improvements (and that is line editing). A hint of smouldering unspoken passion for a central character and the plot suddenly snapped into sharp focus. Sometimes all it takes is a nudge in the right direction from an editor to avoid a major rewrite.  Proofreading Proofreading is a specialist area of professional editing, one which should be undertaken immediately before publication. Proofs are the final ‘set’ (i.e. in the final positions on the page), cover, and content of your book as it will appear once published. Your proofreader should spot any final typesetting and copy errors in them and flag them up. If your editor has done a good job, there should not be that many and you should then be able to ‘sign off’ a final corrected proof. In theory, that is then exactly how the book should appear once published, but I once had an over-zealous publishing-house content editor make catastrophic changes to my text after it had been ‘signed off’ – the stuff of nightmares (and litigation)!   You might now ask ‘why not get one person to do the lot at the same time’? This may seem a logical economy but would not work well, as after any line editing or developmental editing, you will wish to restructure or rewrite to some degree, so premature proofreading would be pointless. Proofing is also better undertaken by someone who has not had anything to do with the writing or editing process already. A good editor should already have picked up on repeated errors in spelling or grammar but worrying about the nitty-gritty of typos tends to come at this later stage.   How Editors Work Your editor is there to decide whether your book ‘works’. If it does, they will suggest ways to make it better still. If it does not, they will explain why and recommend ways to put it right.   I do this myself by:   Highlighting examples of weak writing within the text, often showing an improved version alongside it  Rewriting short sections where a writer is struggling for clarity, especially if the text has been over-written (this is common with opening chapters)  Recommending necessary changes to structure, plot, characters, narrative style etc  Pointing out over-used words or phrases (something we all do – my own are the word ‘little’ and a penchant for unnecessary adverbs)  I may also suggest an alternative to the working title of a book, so expect this too. As writers we become used to thinking of a particular title from the first word on the first page and it is hard to see beyond that. A few years ago, I edited a family-orientated illustrated history book which was called Growing a Cathedral. It was the last major published work of the veteran author, Elizabeth Sutherland. The weak title really bothered me – but she could not see past it. We eventually agreed a compromise: \'Sowing a cathedral\' became instead the slightly tweaked title of the first chapter, while the book was issued under the much stronger title, Highland Cathedral. It is now in its third edition and still doing well.  Somewhere in your editorial report, a good editor should compare/contrast your work with published books in the same genre. Sometimes it is difficult for a writer to see precisely where their work ‘sits’ in terms of the market. It was helpful when early readers compared my book, Major Tom’s War, with Vera Brittain’s great memoir Testament of Youth and Michael Ondaatje’s novel The English Patient, for example, because I could then see how it falls somewhere between fiction and non-fiction. These comparisons are useful to mention in a letter to a potential agent or publisher too which may be an agreed part of your report package if you go through an agency. Editors can help you craft a synopsis too – often the hardest part of pulling together a submission following the completion of the editing stage.   How Much Does An Editor Cost?  A good editor has a curious blend of traits. You should be prepared to pay them for a service, and you must also be prepared to act on (or at least consider) their recommendations.   If you are a young or new writer and you worry about the cost of hiring a professional, then try to find someone to undertake the task who isn\'t a close friend or family member, as they will be able to give you more objective feedback. Consider asking a neighbour, or anyone you know who\'s a journalist, teacher, or librarian. Ask yourself this, though: will you be prepared to act on their recommendations if you are not invested enough in your own output to pay them something? And is it fair to expect anyone to work (and yes, even if your 90,000 word manuscript is a shoo-in for a future Booker Prize, it is still work) for free?  How To Find An Editor Commissioning an editor may not in fact cost as much as you think. Even so, once you have decided that you need an editor, beware of panic buying: it horrifies me how many people will Google \'editors\' and then immediately hand over their money to the first algorithm which says ‘card details here’. Always search for their company name online. Always check for feedback.   There is a special place in hell reserved for ‘vanity’ publishers (which often pop up within the first few clicks online because of the sheer quantity of poor saps they have suckered before you). These will offer to edit, produce and even design a cover for your book and their sales pitch is often misleadingly slick. One elderly friend ignored my advice a few years ago and signed up with a well-known ‘publisher’ without reading the small print. In return, he received a boxful of poorly edited and produced books with an unrecognisable cover illustration, and it cost him much heartbreak and most of his savings.   If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.  Editing Costs The UK Chartered Institute for Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) currently suggests minimum hourly rates of £28.65 for proofreading, £33.30 for copyediting and £38.30 for substantial editing, rewriting and/or developmental editing. However, I would steer clear of any editor who tries to seal the deal by quoting for editing work by the hour. I happen to read very fast, but I will generally read manuscripts submitted to me twice or even three times before writing an editorial report. Charging by the hour or even by the day would not work for me, or for my clients.   Consider instead individual professional editors or agencies which will charge you according to the word length of your manuscript, as really this is the fairest way of doing it. Some editing projects will take a bit longer than others and most agency editors accept this: it evens out.   Agency charges vary (see ours here), and the editor assigned to you will generally receive around half of the fee you pay, the other half covering core administration costs (for example marketing, writing, conference planning and the creation of the invaluable generic web links freelance editors can add into their reports). Shop around, do not be afraid to ask questions and make sure you get as much bang for your buck as you possibly can.  If you commission an independent professional editor, check their website (if they have one), ask for references from recent previous clients, and aim to make sure that they have already edited within your genre.  Some professional book editors or editing companies provide a sample edit or two on their websites. These also offer a visual comparison between, for example, copy editing and line editing. Before you sign a contract, expect to have a dialogue with your editor or agency (and if they resist this, find someone else). This helps ensure that you\'ve found the right editor for you. Three Good Questions To Ask An Editor:   ‘How long do you think it will take to read and edit my manuscript?’ (NB most agencies will agree this for you with the editor in advance)  ‘Have you ever written or worked on something in this particular genre before?’  ‘Can you look particularly closely at my opening chapter/character development/timeline/ending?’ (it is always helpful to pinpoint areas of your manuscript which you think need work)  Your Editor May Respond With Questions Of Their Own, So Expect Something Along These Lines:  ‘Has any other editor already worked on your text?’  ‘How much of your story is based on real events and people?’  \'Which authors inspire your writing?’  The Editing Process Once you have received your report, you should be given a period of time for reflection on its content and then the option to have an email exchange or a Zoom chat to clarify any points or simply to talk through the content: I prefer Zoom, because I tend to form a picture of the writer in my head as I edit and I like to compare that preconception to reality!  I often begin my reports by praising the writer for their courage in entrusting their seedling manuscript to my care and I am completely sincere about that. Although a few have come close, I have never yet been sent a manuscript where I thought ‘this is so good that I cannot help it grow.’  Agencies often have a fast track to an agent system for any manuscripts an editor considers ready to go out.   Since starting to edit for Jericho a couple of years ago, one manuscript on which I have worked was sold as part of a historical fantasy book series to a major publisher, and that was just as exciting for me as it was for the author concerned.  Finding An Editor Editors must aim to be kind and positive without becoming over-friendly, at which point objectivity may be lost. Your editor’s name will never appear on your cover and probably not even in your list of acknowledgements. We provide secret support to help enhance your book. A recent client of mine had a superb manuscript but struggled to write convincing sex scenes from a female viewpoint: a challenge I much enjoyed resolving. Editors must work with clients under the strictest confidentiality and should never divulge book or author names without consent.   When basking in the glow of a successful book-harvest, you may not remember an editor’s face or name for long, or even acknowledge their existence to the outside world, but that does not matter a jot. As your editor, I will have helped you through the joyful ordeal that is book-growing, and that, for me at least, is reward enough. Whether you opt for a freelance book editor or an editing company, regardless of the kind of editing service you choose, your book always remains precisely that - yours. 

A messy first draft might sound like a problem, but it’s actually a beautiful thing. Trying too hard to get things ‘right’ the first time stilts your ability to immerse yourself in your work and gives undue weight to your inner critic’s disapproval. Completing a chaotic first draft, on the other hand, means that you’ve allowed yourself to write freely and without self-judgement, in spontaneous pursuit of the right next words. Your next step will be to revise your manuscript to improve it and take it closer to the final version you envisioned.  Self-editing can be tough, forcing you to reckon with everything that’s ‘wrong’ with your manuscript. The more awareness you have of your work’s flaws, the better equipped you’ll be to work through them. The key is to self-edit thoroughly, patiently, and with equal amounts of mercilessness and self-compassion. But let’s start from the beginning. What Exactly Is Self-Editing? Self-editing is the type of editing you do yourself, without the assistance of anyone else. These will be the first changes you make to your novel’s first draft, so the self-editing stage will typically involve radical edits. Expect to erase or rewrite entire chapters or scenes, insert additional scenes where necessary, change the subject matter or tone of particular dialogues, and generally work on exercising greater control over your writing. Much like working with professional editors, a thorough self-edit will begin with big-picture elements and gradually focus on more minor details. Typically, writers perform at least three rounds of revisions, with some projects taking as many as nine or ten rounds.  In addition to spurring specific changes, self-editing works as an exercise in reflection. After re-reading your manuscript (ideally after a little time away from it), you’ll encounter the words you actually wrote. This is the moment to bridge the gap between the book you wrote and the book you want to write. (Note that it’s completely fine if the book you ended up writing isn’t the one you set out to write — plans change.) If you haven’t ever had to edit a manuscript-length project before, the many moving parts involved may end up overwhelming you. Some degree of frustration is probably inevitable, but by self-editing in an organised, strategic, and methodical way, you can prevent panic.  Below, I’m listing seven important questions you should ask yourself while you edit your own writing — the idea is that these questions can help you stay focused on one thing for each editing iteration while ensuring you do a thorough job.  1. What Do I Honestly Think Is Wrong With This Manuscript? To embark on this process with a sense of control, take stock of where you are right now. Begin by reading through your work one more time, and making a note (but stopping yourself from editing on the go) of everything you aren’t happy with.  Maybe a certain plot point comes too abruptly — note that down. Maybe a character’s development feels too slow and elaborate, and you’d like to include another scene, where change is more decisive. Maybe the opening doesn’t feel like it’s highlighting the right things anymore. Maybe the middle is too slow, or a specific scene needs rewriting. When you’ve got a big list of everything you’d like to improve, you can use it to decide what to edit next — and writing things down will help quieten down your mind, helping you feel less overwhelmed.  Ideally, start by looking at your plot’s major arc. If there are truly fundamental plot points you aren’t sure about (e.g. “the protagonist should not have ended up with character A, character B was the right one for them”), start there, because those adjustments will bring about a series of changes throughout the rest of the book.  2. Which Element Of The Manuscript Will This Editing Round Focus On? Before you begin each round of edits, identify what your focus will be. Making a plan can help you resist the temptation to multi-task editing several things at once, and trace throughlines to ensure satisfying big-picture arcs for your characters or overall plot. There’s always time to return to a specific scene to improve the minutiae. A disclaimer here: there isn’t really a right and wrong way to self-edit, so if multi-tasking is the path that feels right, feel free to change up several things at once. Just make sure you return to check that arcs or plot points add up to a bigger structure that helps your story make an impact. 3. Is This Paragraph, Scene, Or Chapter Necessary? Part of the fun of first drafts is the freedom you have to write without restraint. At this stage, asides, tangential jokes, and elaborate descriptions are all allowed — but that doesn’t mean they get to stay in your manuscript for eternity. Every part of your manuscript should be contributing something. If it isn’t, you’ll either have to figure out how to make it contribute, or get rid of it. Either way, your manuscript will be more focused or more concise, and stronger. Here’s an exercise to help you identify redundant chapters: when you’re working on your big-picture structural edit, spend some time listing out every chapter — either in a numbered list or in a spreadsheet. Try to summarise each one in a few words (e.g., “Keiko locates the murder weapon,” “Jon begins to doubt the loyalty of the AI bot”), then read through your summaries and try to determine whether each chapter contributes something of value in the form of character development, theme exploration, or plot progression.  Next, when you’re editing each chapter with more detail, do the same for the scenes comprising a given chapter. Ask yourself if you’re slipping into accidental script writing, narrating every single action your character takes. Contrast these two examples:  “When she got downstairs, Cathy opened the cupboard, drawing out a jar of rolled oats. She measured the right amount of oats and then gathered the rest of the ingredients she needed to make her porridge. As always, she topped her breakfast with cinnamon. Then she opened the curtains and sat down to eat her breakfast, before phoning her sister.”“In the morning, Cathy phoned her sister while she was having breakfast.” Unless Cathy’s breakfast is about to be part of a crime scene, there’s really no need to zoom into the minutiae of her meal in that much detail. As the writer, you can fast-forward to the important part. The same applies to the beginning and ending of dialogues: there’s no need for characters to engage in extended small talk. Use your novelist powers to lead the reader where they actually need to be. Another example, to illustrate my point: As soon as the lab results came back, Martha picked up the phone and rang Janice, a private investigator. “Hi, Janice, it’s Martha from Forensics. How have you been?” “Great! How are you, how’s Georgia?” “Fine, thank you. We saw a fantastic play over the weekend, you should check it out. It’s called Green.” “I definitely will do! Can I help you with anything?” “Yes, I’m calling about a case I’m working on. The thing is, the evidence is not consistent with…”As soon as the lab results came back, Martha phoned Janice, a private investigator. “Janice, I’m working a case, and I’ve got some evidence that isn’t consistent with …” Before you hand your manuscript to a professional editor or send a sample to literary agents, you’ll also have to spend some time with each sentence, dwelling on the necessity of each individual word. If there are turns of phrase you’re sad to lose, by all means cut and paste them into another document, where you can return to them for other projects. Right now, focus on the needs of the manuscript at hand. 4. Does The Ending Conclude The Book In A Satisfactory And Logical Way? Often, having trouble with the ending is a symptom of plot issues earlier on in your book. If you feel like something doesn’t quite click right with your ending, try to trace it back to the rest of the book, and see where it is that the problem really begins. What ‘flavour’ does your book end on? Is this consistent with what you were working towards? Have you built up to that feeling throughout? End with a feeling of regret if it makes sense given what you’ve written before, but not if it’s an inexplicable change in direction. If you’re choosing not to fully resolve every narrative thread and leave part of the story open-ended, try to write a few versions of the ending, each with a different degree of open-endedness. If you still feel like your original ending provided the right degree of closure and openness, that’s great — if not, this exercise can help you zoom in on what isn’t working in each version. This being the self-editing stage, do your best to sharpen your ending, while remembering that there may be some more changes coming to this significant part of your book once you’ve heard back from beta readers and your editor.  5. Does The Opening Hook The Reader And Emphasise The Right Themes? You probably wrote your book’s opening first or early on in the writing process, and it\'s likely that your project has evolved quite dramatically since then. Re-read your first few chapters and reflect as honestly as you can on the pace of the opening — are you doing what you can to ensure your reader will keep on reading? Is your first sentence grabbing their attention? Many writers find that the real opening of their book is a few chapters into the story, as it sometimes takes a little while to find your feet.  Though many books open with suspenseful, highly-dramatic first sentences (e.g., “The day my life changed forever, I had forgotten to pack my torch”), that level of drama is optional. Works of literary fiction in particular tend to opt for a low-key first sentence that introduces a problem, conflict, or personality, and works well without showing off.  Compare these two ways to open the same scene: “It was a Tuesday like all Tuesdays, and autumn leaves were scattered all over the pavement Robin was walking on.”“With every homeward step, Robin felt more and more like he didn’t want to get back home.” The latter example isn’t about to win any Nobels, but it introduces Robin as a character, gives readers a sense of something he doesn’t want to do, and tells them he’s doing it anyway — whereas the former sentence is more generic and unmemorable.  You’ll also need to ask yourself whether your opening scene still embodies the themes that have led your book to its end. If not, you may have to reconsider an altogether different opening. 6. Do The Characters Feel Like Real People Who Have Both Positive And Negative Traits, As Well As A Motivation And Backstory? Skim through your manuscript and make a note of every major character’s trajectory through the story. Is it all adding up, and does each character feel like they’ve naturally arrived where they’re supposed to be at the end of the book?  If you can’t really see them as people, that’s probably a sign they deserve a little bit of fleshing out. Here are a few aspects of characterisation to think about: Your characters’ goals Your characters’ flaws Your characters’ backstory How they interact differently with other characters Where they’re going to go next, after the book is over Whether major characters are dynamic or static One way to get to know your characters better is to complete a character questionnaire, which provides some playful prompts to help you imagine their inner lives and behaviour. 7. If I Read It Aloud, Does It Still Sound Good? Asking yourself this question will help you evaluate your work’s tone. Many writers sometimes slip into purple prose when they can’t hear their own writing, but quickly regret their choice of words when those same sentences are read aloud.  Ideally, you should read your entire book out loud to yourself — but if you don’t have that much time, read out passages containing extensive descriptions of characters or landscapes, as well as dialogue. If you’re planning to work with an illustrator or cover designer, you can put those descriptions in another document so you can include them in your design brief. In the meantime, listen out for words that you’re embarrassed to say out loud (a classic purple prose flag), as well as sentences that sound a little off tonally. A tone check can help you identify passages where you’ve tried too hard to make the writing sound good, ending up with overly elaborate vocabulary or convoluted syntax, or instances where humour doesn’t carry across successfully.  Once you’re sure you’ve done the best you possibly can, it’s time to begin sharing your work with other people — be that informal beta readers, a professional editor, or literary agents reading a sample of your work. Whichever it is, it’s important that you know that self-editing is simply phase one of editing, and your manuscript will still undergo many revisions informed by external feedback. Approach the next stage with openness and courage — you’ve come a very long way already!

No publishing journey is ever the same, so it\'s always interesting to hear different writers\' perspectives. We spoke to Cate Green, a former Festival of Writing prizewinner (who\'s also used our agent one-to-ones, mentoring, and editorial services), about her experience. JW: Please tell us a bit about you: how long have you been writing, and what was your journey to finding an agent like?   I’m one of those writers who always says, ‘I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember’, and it’s true! I loved writing as a child at school and at home and had a special notebook for my stories and poems. I was a prize-winner in my first national essay-writing competition at the age of 18 and, although it took me many, many years to finally write a novel (let alone have one published) I never stopped writing one way or another. I’ve had a career that has spanned news journalism, copywriting, and communications in the UK and France, where I have lived for almost thirty years.  I started seriously trying to write a novel just over ten years ago and, after a couple of near misses, won the 2019 Exeter Novel Prize. That led to offers from a few agents, including one from the Prize judge, Broo Doherty of DHH Literary. I’m delighted to say that Broo now represents me and negotiated my two-book deal with One More Chapter, a Harper Collins imprint. My novel, The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W., will be published in paperback, digital and audio in the summer of 2023.  I find that mentoring is a great way of moving ahead with a manuscript as it’s so helpful to have objective feedback and support that’s completely personalised to you, whatever stage you’re at with your novel. JW: What resources have you found useful along the way? I’ve never been on any writing courses as such and my first Festival of Writing back in 2012 was both a real eye-opener and a huge help in learning more about the craft of writing, and standing back to understand how to edit your own work. The agent one-to-ones were just fantastic in giving me confidence about my writing – although they didn’t lead to representation, both agents asked to see my first three chapters and gave me some incredibly helpful feedback. In fact, York was also the place where I met Broo Doherty for the first time. We were both sitting at the back of a workshop and after the talk, I plucked up the courage to do a quick pitch of the novel that I’d brought to the Festival that year (the first one I’d written, which is now deep in a hidden drawer, where it will stay). Broo was kind enough to listen and interested enough to ask to read the first three chapters – proof that agents actually are approachable people and that sometimes things do come full circle.   I went back to York in 2014 and this time actually won the Best First Chapter Competition and came runner-up in Friday Night Live – second to Joanna Cannon, for whom the rest was history! I had lots of interest from agents then, but I had only written the first five or so chapters of my second (unpublished) novel and, in the end, it wasn’t to be – that time.  I naturally turned to Jericho Writers for help with manuscript critiques and mentoring. I worked for a few months with a great mentor, but we decided to part ways – for the best of reasons: I had come runner-up in the Yeovil Prize and through that found an agent. Sadly, I also parted ways with the agent several months later (see below), but hey, onwards and upwards.  I find that mentoring is a great way of moving ahead with a manuscript as it’s so helpful to have objective feedback and support that’s completely personalised to you, whatever stage you’re at with your novel. I later went on to work with another mentor who encouraged me to enter the Exeter Prize, so huge thanks to her!  And book Twitter has been a great resource. I’ve had so much encouragement and support from other writers, agents and editors on there – many people are so approachable and generous. Plus, it’s a great way of finding out who’s who and who does what in publishing.  JW: Did you experience any setbacks? How did you cope with them?   I’ve had lots of rejections from both agents and editors. To be honest, I think that having worked as a journalist and copywriter for so long means that I’ve grown used to having red ink all over my work (as well as using it on other people’s work!) and grown quite a thick skin.  I’d say my main setbacks were parting ways with my previous agent and, before that, coming down from the First Chapter Prize cloud when I realised that, unlike Joanna, I wasn’t going to get seven agent offers and a fast track to publication. That was a blow to my morale, but the Prize meant I knew I could write and that my idea had legs, so in the end it made me determined to finish the novel and get that agent. When I finally did though, being ‘fired’ by the agency after coming very close to a publishing deal was the most difficult setback to cope with. It was a fairly big London agency which was going through some internal restructuring, including a change of role for my agent, and it made me realise that sometimes you just fall through the cracks. They didn’t like the idea for my next novel – the one set for publication next year – but I really believed in it so, after a few weeks of tears and soul-searching, I just dusted myself off and decided I was going to write it.  … Working with an agent while I was still writing the book was just wonderful. I had someone to bounce my ideas off and to give me honest, constructive feedback, as well as some great ideas – and who was rooting for me the whole time! JW: What was it like having an agent while you were still writing your book? In what ways do you think that a more collaborative approach (working with an agent/editor) changed or will change the way you approach your writing?  I was incredibly lucky that Broo Doherty signed me on the strength of my first ten thousand words because working with an agent while I was still writing the book was just wonderful. I had someone to bounce my ideas off and to give me honest, constructive feedback, as well as some great ideas  – and who was rooting for me the whole time! True luxury after so many years of working on my own or paying for editorial services. I’ve also enjoyed working with Charlotte Ledger, my editor at One More Chapter – again, fresh eyes and a collaboration with someone who’s totally on your side, loves your work and wants to make it even better is just such a positive experience. I’m looking forward to working on book two with both of them. It’s in the early stages for now, but I think the biggest change will be the challenge of a tight deadline. I know it’s not the most orthodox approach, but for my first three novels, I didn’t write a “messy” first draft as such. I tend to keep editing until I’m happy and then move on to the next chapter of the novel. But having just under a year to write the next book (and keep doing the day job and running family matters!) means I’m not sure that I’ll be able to work in the same way this time. I hope I can make it!  JW: What has it been like working with a digital-first publisher? What are the benefits? I haven’t had any concrete experience of any difference the digital side might make – except for the fact that the royalties are significantly higher than for print and audio, and that’s a bonus since OMC are very experienced in selling and marketing in the digital arena.  About Cate Cate Green grew up in Buckinghamshire and moved to France over twenty years ago. She now lives just outside of Lyon with her husband and three daughters. Cate is a copywriter and a broadcast and print journalist, with more than twenty years\' experience in television, international radio, and corporate communications. Her debut novel, The Curious Kidnapping of Nora W, won the 2019 Exeter Novel Prize and will be released in the summer of 2023. You can follow Cate on Twitter here.

We spoke to UNWC course alumnus Alan Fraser, who has just received a publishing deal, about the crucial things he learned about revising his work ready for submission. JW: What was your favourite part of the Ultimate Novel Writing (UNWC) course? For me, the part I loved most was actually the part I thought I would like least: commenting on other people’s work – and having them comment on mine. Thinking about why I like, or don’t like, someone else’s writing made me think more about my own. It’s easy to pick holes in other people’s writing, but, more often than not, as I started to type out what I thought could be improved, I’d find myself thinking, ‘But haven’t I done exactly the same thing in my book?’ And having people critique my writing in detail was fantastically helpful in sharpening up the book Thinking about why I like, or don’t like, someone else’s writing made me think more about my own. JW: Tell us about your journey to finding a publisher. What steps did you take, and were there any turning points/transformative moments? I started writing my first novel more than eight years ago when I was stuck on a plane with nothing to read and no access to my tech. I had the arrogance of a beginner and, after I’d mapped out the basic structure of the plot, just started writing with no help, and without doing any research about how to write a novel. It was only when I came to think about submitting the completed 192,000 word opus I realised there was a whole load of stuff I needed to know – and really should have thought about before I’d even started. That was how I first came across Jericho Writers. They gave me a manuscript assessment which really helped me get to grips with what writing a novel involved, so I signed up to Harry’s weekly emails. This meant that when I was working on my second novel, I was far more aware of the industry’s expectations. I was determined to be more professional this time and signed up for the UNWC in the hope it would help me navigate publishing. Whilst on the course I started submitting to agents. I had five full manuscript requests in the first six months which gave me real hope – but then nothing. On one of the agent one-to-ones I got with the course, an agent said that the industry had moved on and what I was writing didn’t fit with what publishers were looking for now. I was despondent, but everyone in my tutor group – and my mentor – said how much they liked my book and reminded me that my writing was really strong. So I decided to have a ‘last throw of the dice’ and submit to small presses. In the end, I got two offers of publication but opted to go with Lightning Books. I was really lucky to be in a fabulous and supportive tutor group. There’s no way I would have kept going without their encouragement. JW: In what ways has the UNWC helped you to where you are now in your writing journey? I was really lucky to be in a fabulous and supportive tutor group. There’s no way I would have kept going without their encouragement. When the rejections started to come, they really rallied round and encouraged me to believe in my writing. I also had an excellent mentor in Helen Francis. She believed in the book, but more than that, she believed in me as a writer and believed I could get published. Every time I thought I’d come to a dead end she encouraged me to keep going. The fact that she works in the industry, took the time to really understand my manuscript, and still felt that I should keep going when I’d lost all hope myself meant the world to me. JW: Do you have any advice for new students for making the most of the course? Don’t think you know it all. Commenting on other people’s stuff and responding humbly to other people’s comments about yours is actually a surprisingly effective way to become a better writer. Oh, and make sure you take advantage of every opportunity the course offers. It’s pointless investing in a course like this if you don’t commit the time to learning. I picked up loads of great tips – often in the places I least expected to. The course only works if you work the course! About Alan Alan Fraser is a writer from Birmingham (UK) who, after his dreams of rock stardom were cruelly dashed, took up writing. His play, Random Acts of Malice, won the inaugural Derek Lomas Prize for New Writing, but for the past eight years, his focus has been on fiction. His novel, The Muse of Hope Falls, will be published by Lightning Books in the second half of 2023. You can follow Alan on Twitter here.

Being an author can be a lonely and paranoia-filled occupation when writing alone. Without feedback and guidance, it becomes all too easy for doubt to creep in. We interviewed former UNWC student Nicky Downes and spoke about how the course helped her achieve her dream of finding a publisher, the lessons she learnt, and the people that helped along the way. JW: What was your favourite part of the UNWC course? I started the course with just an outline for a novel and a fledging idea for my protagonist – a female Detective Inspector who climbs mountains. If it wasn’t for the support of both my writing group and my mentor, Helen Francis, I wouldn’t now have a complete novel and a publishing contract. I loved all aspects of the course, but it was the time spent in the webinars with my group discussing our writing problems and the critiquing of each other’s work that had the most impact. And meeting everyone at the York Festival was amazing! I loved the courses there too. I had some real lightbulb moments. I loved all aspects of the course, but it was the time spent in the webinars with my group discussing our writing problems and the critiquing of each other’s work that had the most impact. JW: Tell us about your journey to finding a publisher. What steps did you take, and were there any turning points/transformative moments? I had already self-published a police procedural series before starting the course and knew how difficult it can be to promote your work successfully. I was ideally looking for a publisher that would love my protagonist and ideas for my new series, and that could place the series in front of more readers. In terms of the genre of my novels, I knew that a digital first publisher would be a good option. The one-to-ones that I had with agents were excellent and helped enormously with my understanding of what the key themes of my novel were and my pitch. In the end, I had two offers of representation. The first with Storm Publishing who offered me a three-book deal for the DI Jack Kent series. As I was considering this, I was approached by an agent who had read my submission to the UNWC anthology. After reading my full manuscript, she offered me representation. That was a wonderful and unexpected surprise. In the end, I plumped for Storm. I can’t wait to work with my publisher, Kathryn Taussig, on editing Urban Climber (the title may change) and the other books in the series. JW: In what ways has the UNWC helped you to where you are now in your writing journey? The course helped me to understand which areas of my writing I needed to improve. It also gave me a much clearer understanding of the industry and what works. Being able to discuss my writing with my peers and tutor really helped, particularly during those moments when I floundered and found it difficult to keep going. The fact that the course covers everything from the first page to the final draft is so important. I’m sure I’ll keep returning back to both the course materials, and to the support of the members of my writing group, whenever I get stuck in the future. The course helped me to understand which areas of my writing I needed to improve. It also gave me a much clearer understanding of the industry and what works. JW: Do you have any advice for new students for making the most of the course? There will be times when you will struggle with your writing. But there is so much help and guidance available at Jericho. Don’t feel that you have to do everything. Do what is working for you and your book. Sometimes you’ll get advice that you don’t immediately agree with. Take a step back and look at it again with fresh eyes, as this is often the advice that makes a real difference to your writing. Be prepared to make some lifelong writing friends too! About Nicky Nicky Downes has previously written a self-published crime series featuring DI Amelia Barton of the National Crime Agency. When she’s not writing, she loves cruising the canals of Birmingham and the Midlands on her narrowboat, Chanelle. You can follow Nicky on Twitter, or view her website here.

Utopian fiction is a diverse and fascinating genre. It\'s an ideal form of literature for these trying times. In this guide we will:  Clarify what utopian fiction is  Discuss the difference between utopian and dystopian fiction Explore the different types of utopian fiction that are available Discover some examples of published utopian fiction  Consider how you might set about writing utopian fiction  So let’s begin by considering the genre itself. How is it defined?  What Is Utopian Fiction?  A utopia is an imagined, perfect world, often set in the distant future. In utopian fiction, the author has created a setting which is seen as fair, idealistic and harmonious. Its society will be striving for perfection and will seem to have no obvious flaws.   Utopian science fiction often explores the question – \'are perfect societies even possible?\'. However, this question is an interesting one in itself – as many utopian fictions will often expose the flaws involved with a ‘perfect’ and ‘fair’ world. Is there something that is sacrificed in the pursuit for perfection and complete equality? Utopian and dystopian fiction have characteristics of both science fiction and fantasy, but the emphasis is often placed on the emotions and perceptions of the characters living in these conditions.  Sir Thomas More  Sir Thomas More was a lawyer, judge and social philosopher and is seen as the first writer of the genre. He even invented the word ‘utopia’ from Greek roots when writing his first book of the same name in 1516. Interestingly, utopia in Greek can either mean ‘no place’ or ‘good place’ depending on the roots used. More’s Utopia imagines a perfect state and utopian society on an imagined island that has been cut off from Europe for over 1,200 years.   To fully understand utopian fiction, we also need to understand how it compares with its sister genre – dystopian fiction.  What Is The Difference Between Utopian Fiction And Dystopian Fiction?   Dystopian and utopian fiction can often be confused, and the lines between them can be blurred. In this section we will explore the main differences between utopian and dystopian Fiction.  In utopian fiction, we are imagining society that is true perfection. However, in dystopian fiction we are exploring a world where society has gone wrong. It is the direct opposite of utopian and is often chaotic, challenging, unfair and disruptive. The problems that might be affecting our world today (for example war or disease) are often more extreme in dystopian fiction and its depiction of an often anarchist society. It is interesting that in many utopian worlds or settings it will start as a perceived perfect and well managed world but will soon turn in a destructive and harmful dystopian world once the individuals in the setting find flaws in the utopia. A perfect example of this is found in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, where the State has total control of a supposed perfect state. Another example is George Orwell’s 1984.  Simply put, one explores an ideal society (utopian), the other an anarchist society that lacks justice and fairness (dystopian). So now that we\'ve considered the difference between utopian and dystopian fiction, let’s explore the different types of utopian literature available.  Types Of Utopian Fiction   The different types of utopian fiction include: Ecological   In these types, society is working in harmony with nature to avoid producing waste and pollution, and nature is prioritised. Economic These types of work were popular after the 18th century and explore the concepts of Marx and Engels to explore self-sustaining utopian economies that benefit everyone.   Technological  In these types of modern utopia, technology meets all human needs and functions, to improve their quality of living.  Religious/Spiritual   In these societies, people are living in religious harmony without conflict or warfare.  Scientific  Similar to technology, in these settings science has helped to improve living standards, cure illnesses, and perhaps even help human beings avoid death.  Examples Of Utopian Fiction   Here are some examples of utopian fiction across the centuries. They are all considered excellent utopian works and will help to provide a fuller understanding of the subject. As discussed before, some of these examples – for example Brave New World – are utopian novels that become dystopian, but these genres often blur.   Utopia- Sir Thomas More (1516)  New Atlantis- Francis Bacon (1626)  The Blazing World – Lady Margaret Lucas Cavendish (1666)  Gulliver’s Travels- Jonathan Swift (1726)  Erewhon- Samuel Butler (1872)  Gloriana – Lady Florence Dixie (1890)  News from Nowhere – William Morris (1890)  Looking Backwards – Edward Bellamy (1888)  Mizora: World of Women – Mary E Bradley Lane (1991)   Woman on the Edge of Time- Marge Piercy (1976)  The Culture- Iain M Blanks (1987 – 2012)  The Dispossessed  - Ursula K Le Guin (1974)  The Ones who Walk Away – Ursula K Le Guin (1973)  Star Trek – The Original Series (1966) Herland – Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1915)  Brave New World- Aldous Huxley (1931) When it Changed – Joanna Russ (1972)  Afterland – Lauren Beuke (2020)  The End of Men – Christina Sweeney-Baird (2021)  Now we have shared some utopian examples to explore, let’s consider how you might start to write a utopian novel yourself.  How To Write Utopian Fiction   In this section we will explore some key tips and considerations to make when writing utopian fiction. Explore Theme & Issues  Consider the theme that you want to explore in your utopian fiction. Is there an issue happening in society today that you can explore further in your fiction? Maybe your book will join the group of increasingly popular feminist utopias. Which type of utopian fiction is it likely to fall under? Scientific? Political? Environmental? Or a combination? What could provide an ‘ideal solution’ to the problem you have considered, and how will your society feel harmonised?  Build Your Utopia  Once you have understood what themes you will explore in your utopian fiction, it’s important to understand the setting and the people that will sit within it. Do you need to draw a map of your utopia? Is there a manifesto or guiding set of rules for your people to follow? Are there any compromises to consider? Have fun creating and playing with your world and thinking about the types of characters that sit within it, and the sacrifices they might have made.  Read!  The best way to understand the utopian genre is to read books on the genre. This will fuel your imagination and get those creative juices flowing. So there are no excuses, pick up that book!  Frequently Asked Questions   What Is Utopian Fiction In Literature?   Utopian fiction in literature explores an imagined or perfect world, something that we aspire to, or dream of. In these settings society is seen as fair and just, and people are living in harmony and without fear. Utopian fiction often poses the question, \'is a perfect society or world possible?\'. What Is An Example Of Utopian Fiction?  One example of utopian fiction is the first utopian work, Sir Thomas More’s Utopia, in which he imagines a perfect island state.   What Is The Difference Between Dystopian And Utopian Fiction?  In utopian fiction we are imagining a society living in harmony. However, in dystopian fiction we are exploring a world where society has gone wrong. It\'s the direct opposite of utopian and is often chaotic, challenging, unfair and disruptive. Writing Utopian Fiction I hope that this article has helped with your understanding and knowledge of the vast and interesting genre of utopian fiction. It is extremely beneficial to read and understand this genre, as it poses so many thought-provoking philosophical questions – such as ‘what is a perfect society?’ and ‘can it be truly possible to live in complete harmony?’. Utopian fiction can also help to explore human flaws and weaknesses in a perfect setting.   Utopian fiction is great genre to read and write as it crosses into so many other areas and often blurs into many great works of dystopia. It may seem like a difficult genre to write, but it is such an inspiring one – as it often produces work that makes the reader consider deeper questions.  So, if you feel inspired by this, there is no excuse. Pick up that pen and begin to create that new utopian world! 

As authors, we work hard to engage our readers. We try to ensure emotion is on the page, craft dialogue that\'s realistic, and make sure our settings place our audience at the heart of our stories. But if you really want readers to get a sense of your character\'s inner thoughts, writing stream of consciousness can be an incredibly powerful and effective device.   This writing technique allows you to express the deepest inner thoughts of a character, and as a literary technique, it can bring the reader much closer to the emotion of the moment.   In this article, I will provide a stream of consciousness definition, explain a little about the history of this writing technique, how you can utilise it within your own writing, and walk you through a few stream of consciousness writing examples.  What Is Stream Of Consciousness Writing? Stream of consciousness is a technique that allows the reader to ‘listen to’ and fully understand a character\'s deepest and unordered thoughts. It’s a technique often used to highlight the complicated ways our thoughts move from one idea to another and allows the writer to delve deep into the mind of a character and their most vulnerable thoughts.   Using this technique means allowing a river of words to flow directly as they form in your mind, through your fingers, and onto the page without restriction. It\'s a literary device that is used most commonly (but not exclusively) in fiction and poetry.  Understanding Steam Of Consciousness  To understand stream of consciousness, you need to first ignore the rules you learned at school regarding punctuation, grammar and structure.  Our thoughts very rarely come as fully formed sentences, so when writing stream of consciousness, you need to embrace that and learn to write your inner thoughts exactly as they manifest in your mind. Embrace run-on sentences that are often interrupted by other thoughts, and questions that lead you from one path to another, and don’t be scared of heightened emotions.    Often in fiction we are warned to use repetition sparsely, but our brains are often repetitive, and so fixating on certain words or repetitive thought processes can highlight the cyclical process our brains use to make sense of the world. Repeated words or phrases are often used to highlight the importance of significant themes.   Our brains don’t ‘think’ using punctuation, and so it very rarely has a place in this particular writing style. When writing stream of consciousness, many authors use italics, line breaks, ellipses and dashes to indicated pauses in thought processes or shifting directions.   Essentially, within this writing style, you are urged to break the rules you were taught and embrace the messiness of the human brain.  What Is The Difference Between Inner Monologue And Stream of Consciousness? There are some fundamental differences between internal monologue and stream of consciousness, and using each technique comes with its own set of rules. Understanding the difference and when to use them is essential.  Inner monologue takes the inner thoughts of your character and forms them into fully coherent and structured sentences. This writing technique allows us to understand a character\'s thoughts but only contains the information that the author needs us to know.   As a literary device, inner monologue still uses accepted forms of grammar, syntax and traditional structure with a natural progression from one thought to the next.  In comparison, stream of consciousness tends to be much less ordered than interior monologue. The author will use the freedom of thought without restriction to immerse the reader in the unfiltered thoughts of their character.   Our own inner thoughts are often chaotic, we don’t think in full sentences, often argue with ourselves and question our own thoughts. The stream of consciousness technique highlights this and allows us to see the chaotic nature of the human brain.  The History Of Stream Of Consciousness In Fiction The term \'stream of consciousness\' was first used by the psychologist William James to describe thought patterns in psychology, long before it was used in literary circles as a narrative style. Back in 1894, James defined stream of consciousness in The Principles of Psychology as “consciousness as an uninterrupted \'flow\': \'a \'river\' or a \'stream\' are the metaphors by which it is most naturally described.”  Later, clinical psychologist Matthew Welsh, MS, PhD went on to further explain this, “Stream of consciousness is writing the first words or thoughts that go through your mind without actually planning or consciously thinking about what you are writing. Some people may refer to it as automatic writing.”  The stream of consciousness narrative has been used in fiction for centuries, but literary circles first highlighted the technique in the early 20th century when describing works by the likes of James Joyce, Marcel Proust and Virginia Woolf.   It’s hardly a surprise that these authors adopted such a technique as it was widely understood that they all had a deep understanding of (and a desire to explore) psychology, and embraced the exploration of thought processes and internal character development to express turmoil and the messy chaos of the human brain.  Looking back, we can see seedlings of stream of consciousness developing in Shakespeare’s works, with soliloquies in both Macbeth and Hamlet showing what would develop later into stream of consciousness. But it wouldn’t be until the early 20th century that writers would abandon use of punctuation and embrace ‘flow’ and actively discuss the use of stream of consciousness to deepen the understanding of character and emotion.  Examples Of Stream Of Consciousness In Literature  In the early 20th century, Virginia Woolf used this technique often, with two of her most notable novels To the Lighthouse and Mrs Dalloway using stream of consciousness as a narrative technique to draw the reader in.   As we can see in the below example, Woolf uses stream of consciousness to voice the internal feelings of Mrs Dalloway and explore memories of both past and present, moving freely from past to present and giving us an insight into the characters true unordered emotions.  What a lark! What a plunge! For so it always seemed to me when, with a little squeak of the hinges, which I can hear now, I burst open the French windows and plunged at Bourton into the open air. How fresh, how calm, stiller than this of course, the air was in the early morning; like the flap of a wave; the kiss of a wave; chill and sharp and yet (for a girl of eighteen as I then was) solemn, feeling as I did, standing there at the open window, that something awful was about to happen … Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf    Poet and author Sylvia Plath often used the technique in her work, and most notably so in her novel The Bell Jar. Telling the story of a woman’s journey through depression, the use of stream of consciousness makes this piece of writing one of her most powerful and allows the reader to really experience the disordered thinking of someone struggling with mental illness.   More contemporary examples of this technique can be found in works such as Beloved by Toni Morrison. This novel, published in 1987, contains many beautiful and evocative passages, but the following example, in the voice of the main character Beloved, perfectly highlights all the techniques associated with this writing style.   I am alone    I want to be the two of us    I want the join    I come out of blue water after the bottoms of my feet swim away from me    I come up    I need to find a place to be    the air is heavy    I am not dead    I am not    there is a house    there is what she whispered to me    I am where she told me    I am not dead    I sit    the sun closes my eyes    when I open them I see the face I lost    Sethe\'s is the face that left me    Sethe sees me see her and I see the smile    her smiling face is the place for me    it is the face I lost    she is my face smiling at me  Beloved by Toni Morrison Morrison does not use ‘correct’ grammar or punctuation at all. Repetition is prevalent and the gaps in the text highlight the pauses the ‘brain’ is taking in between thoughts.   Other examples of stream of consciousness writers are James Joyce, David Lodge, William Faulkner and Leo Tolstoy.   How To Use Stream Of Consciousness In Your Writing  It’s often difficult to break out of learned skills and techniques, and ‘free writing’ can feel unnatural to those who have spent their lives writing in a structured manner.   Try some of these techniques to free your brain.   1: Limit Distractions It’s so important not to have external distractions interrupting your flow. Be fully in the mind of your character; don’t distract yourself with your own surroundings for inspiration.   2: Try Meditation This can help with limiting distraction. Free your mind entirely by meditating and focusing solely on your character and the story in front of you. Getting into a state of stream of consciousness writing often means getting into a state of flow and focus. Mediation can help unlock that space in your brain where you can truly embrace free writing.   3: Do NOT Self-Edit! This is particularly hard for those who are used to writing in a structured manner. To truly understand the thought process of the character, you need to embrace the messiness of the brain which means not polishing those words into perfect prose. If your brain hops from thought to thought, let it.   4: Create A Detailed Character Profile Character profiles are incredibly helpful no matter what style of writing you are attempting, but when it comes to stream of consciousness, it is vital to know your character inside out.   5: Try Using Writing Prompts Use some tried and tested writing prompts. Having a specific topic to bounce from will give you a small feeling of structure to start with, but make sure to stay in the head of your character and free write as much as you can, remembering not to self-edit along the way.  Tips For Writing Stream Of Consciousness Now, it wouldn’t be writing if there weren’t a few contradictions to take into consideration. As much as I have stated that there are not ‘rules’, and though I’m telling you to embrace the messiness, there are a few guidelines you need to take into consideration.   1: Stay Character Focused Remember that stream of consciousness must always be character specific. Focus on the thoughts of your character. Stay in their mind, not your own.  2: Don’t Stop!   Follow your characters thoughts all the way to the end, even if the thought process changes direction. Embrace each fork in the road.  3: Ignore The Rules Don’t use structure, or grammar, or any other ‘learned writing skills’. What Are The Benefits Of Stream Of Consciousness? Each technique we learn as writers benefits us in different ways, so what are the benefits to learning how to write in a stream of consciousness style?  Overcome Writers Block If you are struggling with writer’s block, freeing your mind up to really delve into the motivation of your character can be the perfect antidote. If you’re struggling to organise your thoughts, free writing using stream of consciousness can help you get them all down on the page and reveal aspects of your character that you weren’t previously aware of.  Emotional Release  Writing is often used as therapy and using this technique can be incredibly useful when attempting to tap into the deeper emotions of your characters, or indeed yourself. Adopting this technique will free up thought processes you would generally edit out of your own work.  Elevate Your Writing Skills   To become a better writer, you need to write, write and write some more; however, developing new skills in your author\'s tool chest will always help you become a stronger writer. Stream of consciousness is a technique used to shed light on the deepest and darkest parts of our soul, so this kind of free writing can often illuminate areas we never knew existed which can result in you becoming a better, more well-rounded writer.    Frequently Asked Questions   Why Do Writers Use Stream Of Consciousness?  Stream of consciousness is a great way to allow your reader to truly ‘hear’ the thought process of your character, to see their true and undiluted thoughts and connect of a deeper level with the emotions.   Is Writing Stream Of Consciousness Hard? Like any writing technique, it’s something to learn, but it’s a valuable technique. Like everything, practise makes perfect, but it’s a writing technique that can unlock interesting thought processes and is often a fun process to use in the beginning stages of developing an entire novel.  Stream Of Consciousness Writing Like all writing techniques, stream of consciousness is something you can learn, but practise makes perfect. Many will struggle to break away from the restrictive lessons we have been taught when it comes to traditional rules surrounding structure, grammar, and syntax. However, embracing the chaos can elevate your writing, provide invaluable insight into your characters, and truly draw the reader in to your story. So don’t be afraid, jump in with both feet and swim around in the chaos of the mind. You never know what you might discover. 

There are times when a character just leaps off the pages of a book and makes a home in your heart. There are times when a character simply draws you into the pages and keeps you swimming in the book, unaware of the real world around you. And then, there are also times when a character makes you want to punch them in the face, only to root for them as the story unfurls.  In this article, we’re going to figure out how your hero can be one such compelling character. We’ll go through the definition of hero, types of heroes, and how you can make your own character evolve into the hero you want them to be.  What Is A Hero?  A hero is the sole protagonist of a story; they are the main character. They often have admirable qualities, even if they are flawed. But they could be nearly villainous characters too, who, by way of the story, develop some of these admirable qualities.   There can be multiple things that make a hero out of a character– apart from the fact that you, the writer, chose this character to be the hero, of course. However, undergoing testing circumstances is one thing that\'s sure to make a character a hero. Heroes have Herculean – yet human – struggles. It’s the extraordinary human spirit that they show that makes them heroes. No matter the kind of personality your hero has, if they’re not metaphorically thrown under a bus, they don’t feel human enough for your readers.   Heroes\' character arcs pretty much dictate the narrative of the story. The journey of the hero is a process and framework in itself. You\'ll likely have heard of the various stages of a hero’s journey. If not, well, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey is the quintessential writer’s guide to all things character. No matter their journey, though, heroes largely fall into seven categories.   Types Of Heroes  Here are the seven different types of heroes:  Epic Hero  Noble birth, seemingly divine powers, and God-like perfection are the hallmarks of an epic hero. Epic heroes are nearly invincible, with superhuman abilities, making them willing soldiers who fight for their people. Epic heroes can be found in mythology (Hercules) and superhero comics alike (Superman).   Hercules  Hercules is arguably the best example of an epic hero. He’s the embodiment of what the ancient Greeks considered ideal. Be it battling monsters, performing feats of strength, or rescuing those in need, Hercules is the ultimate fulfilment of Grecian perfectionism. Even when, in some accounts, he kills his own wife and children, he seeks out redemption from his sins, making this trait a kind of perfection in itself!  Superman  He might have been raised as an ordinary human being by his adoptive parents, but Clark Kent is anything but ordinary. If anything, his otherworldly powers make him a near-Messiah sent to planet Earth! Even when his powers deteriorate in the presence of Kryptonite, Superman’s bravery and sense of duty never fail.   Classical Hero  Often depicted as brave, strong, and selfless, classic heroes are willing to put their own lives on the line to protect others and fight for justice. They are characters who have abilities, skills, or powers that set them apart from their peers and contemporaries. They might seem ordinary at first, but as the story progresses, they reveal themselves to be extraordinary. Harry Potter, Spiderman, and Luke Skywalker are such classic heroes.   Harry Potter  Harry Potter is a classical hero in more ways than one. Of course, the fact that he comes across as a scrawny preteen, but is actually a wizard, makes him a top qualifier for this hero type. He’s brave enough to willingly confront the Dark Lord Voldemort. Even better, when he wins the elder wand, the most powerful wand known to the wizarding world, he chooses to bury it so that its power doesn’t make him, or others, evil. Come to think of it, his immensely strong sense of right and wrong makes Harry an archetypal character to look up to.   Spiderman  Peter Parker is an average and rather dorky guy until he gains special abilities. As Spiderman, he has superhuman strength, speed, and agility. Despite having such powers, he’s unable to save his uncle from a fatal gunshot. Losing his uncle comes as a great personal loss for Peter. And yet, when it comes down to seeking revenge, Spiderman is a very willing hero, who chooses forgiveness over brute force, time and time again.   Everyman Hero  The everyman hero is the type of hero who represents the ordinary person, rather than the larger-than-life figures typically associated with epic heroes. They may not have superhuman powers or incredible abilities, but they\'re able to overcome obstacles through their determination, resourcefulness, and ordinary human strengths. They may not be as flashy or impressive as more traditional heroes, but they are no less admirable or heroic for it. Katniss Everdeen from Hunger Games andFrodo Baggins from Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings are pretty much the epitome of the everyman hero archetype. Frodo Baggins  Frodo is a comfort-loving hobbit and not particularly special – and certainly not powerful – on his own. Though, with some help, he takes on the monumental task of destroying the One Ring and defeating the dark lord Sauron. Frodo persists in his quest, through bravery, resilience, and a deep sense of responsibility. He might be ordinary, but Frodo’s inner strength is extraordinary. Ultimately, Frodo represents the idea that anyone, no matter how seemingly insignificant or unremarkable, can rise to greatness and do something truly heroic.  Katniss Everdeen  Katniss is all of sixteen years old when she has to represent her district in the Hunger Games. It’s a brutal annual competition in which young people are forced to fight to the death, and yet, Katniss emerges as the victor, using her survival skills and resourcefulness. Throughout the series, she becomes a symbol of hope and rebellion for her fellow citizens. Despite being a hero, Katniss is very realistic as a character. She can’t forgive her mother who abandoned her; she has a first-born complex, if you will, trying to protect anyone younger than herself, just as she does her sister Prim; and she also suffers from PTSD. Anti-Hero  The traits of an anti-hero are more villainous than heroic. They are selfish, greedy, dishonest and immoral in various ways. Often, they have a troubled past that chisels their layered personalities. However, in the end, they do the morally right thing, because they know deep down, that they want to do good. “Felonious” Gru from the animated movie Despicable Me and Han Solo from the Star Wars series are great examples of anti-heroes.   Gru  Gru starts out as a supervillain who is bent on stealing the moon, and even goes so far as to adopt three girls as daughters, just to trick his enemy. But as the story progresses, he begins to develop a sense of morality and even becomes a caring father figure to the orphaned girls under his care. In the film, we get a glimpse of Gru’s mother who’s cold and distant towards him. It is possible that her emotional unavailability shaped Gru’s villainy to some extent, as he often does villainous things for attention – something his mother wouldn’t give him. But in raising the orphaned girls, he finds himself nurtured too. It’s how he starts using his skills and resources for heroic deeds, instead of villainous ones.   Han Solo  Han Solo starts out as a cynical smuggler, driven purely by self-interest. However, as the story progresses, he becomes more selfless and heroic, eventually joining the Rebel Alliance and becoming a key player in the fight against the Galactic Empire. Han Solo ultimately becomes a heroic figure as he learns to put aside his own interests and fight for a greater cause. He is a classic example of an antihero, capable of both good and evil, but ultimately choosing to do good.  The Tragic Hero  This type of hero is a classic figure in literature and drama, particularly in the tragedy genre. Tragic heroes are usually noble and have a tragic flaw that ultimately leads to their downfall. Think Romeo from Romeo and Juliet and Oedipus from Oedipus the King. Popular fiction has them too; Jay Gatsby is also a typical tragic hero.  Jay Gatsby  Jay Gatsby, the protagonist of F. Scott Fitzgerald\'s novel The Great Gatsby, is a self-made man who goes from rags to riches, but through questionable means. He\'s manipulative, selfish, and greedy. His inability to let go of the past and his obsession with reclaiming his lost love Daisy Buchanan, leads to his downfall, making him a typical tragic hero. As a result, Gatsby serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of greed, excess, and obsession.  Oedipus  Oedipus’ ego and pride blind him to the truth of his own identity, leading to a series of horrifying events, ultimately ending in his downfall. Oedipus is determined to solve the mystery of the plague that is afflicting his city and to find the murderer of the previous king, Laius. In his pursuit of the truth, he discovers his own responsibility in the death of the former king, who was his father, and how he has ended up marrying his own mother!  Byronic Hero  A Byronic hero is a type of character that embodies the qualities of the romantic hero, but is troubled by their own brooding nature and rejection of societal norms. They are depicted as being intelligent, charismatic, and emotionally intense. But they are also prone to mood swings, self-destructive behaviour, and a sense of alienation from society. Lord Byron\'s own literary alter ego (Childe Harold), Heathcliff from Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, and Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice are great examples of the Byronic hero type.  Heathcliff  Heathcliff fits this mould perfectly. He’s a complex and troubled character driven by his passions and desires. He is fiercely independent and rebellious; he refuses to conform to the expectations of those around him. Despite his all-consuming rage, Heathcliff is also deeply vulnerable. His actions are often motivated by his intense love for Catherine, the woman he is unable to have.   Mr Darcy  A proud and haughty man, Mr Darcy looks down on those around him, particularly the Bennett family. He’s also slow to form friendships or connections with others, even though he develops a passion for Elizabeth Bennet. However, as the novel progresses, he begins to reveal his true nature, which is marked by a deep sense of honour.   Reluctant Hero  A reluctant, or unwilling, hero is a type of character who is thrust into a position of heroism, often against their will or initial desires. These characters may be reluctant to take on the mantle of a hero because they feel unprepared, unsure of their abilities, or simply because they don’t want the responsibility that comes with it. They may initially resist their role as a hero, but they ultimately embrace it and use their unique skills and talents to make a positive difference in the world. Ove from Frederick Backman’s A Man Called Ove and Ned Stark from George R R Martin’s A Game Of Thrones are great examples of this hero type.  Ove   Initially, Ove is a grumpy old man who resists the changes brought about by his new neighbours, and is unwilling to get involved in their lives or help them in any way. Despite his initial reluctance, Ove softens and goes out of his way to help others. In fact, he becomes a mentor and a friend to the whole neighbourhood. In the end, Ove\'s transformation from a grumpy and solitary man to a selfless and caring hero is a central theme of the novel.  Ned Stark  Ned is a man of honour and integrity who values duty and loyalty above all else. When King Robert wants to recruit him as his Hand, Ned is reluctant to take up the role. He’s much more comfortable as a follower, than he is as a leader. However, when it comes to doing the right thing – like saving the Targaryen girl’s life – he makes use of his position wisely, but at great personal risk. His strong sense of duty and morality make him a good hero, even if he’s reluctant to accept that status.  Frequently Asked Questions  How Do You Classify A Hero?  A hero can be classified based on their personalities, archetypes, and functions. A hero’s personality is essentially the kind of individual they are, archetype is the role they play in relation to other characters in the story, and function is the value they bring to the society in the story and to readers. The seven types of heroes mentioned in this article are classified largely based on the hero’s innate personalities.    What Are The 7 Types Of Heroes?  Here are the 7 types of heroes based on their personalities:  Epic hero  Classical hero  Everyman hero  Anti-hero  Tragic hero  Byronic hero  Reluctant hero  How Can You Create A Compelling Hero? Decide what type of a hero your character is most likely to be.   Make sure you have clarity on your hero’s journey and its stages.   Ensure the tasks ahead of them seem insurmountable.  And don’t forget: your hero needs to be as relatable as possible, flaws and all.  Hero Archetypes As an author, it’s highly beneficial for you to see what type of a hero you’d like your character to be. And it’s okay if it feels like there are overlaps between different types of heroes in the case of your own protagonist. For instance, Byronic heroes and everyman heroes are often also reluctant heroes. But that’s just the complexity of characters. As long as you know primarily how you want to represent your hero, you’re sure to have a strong narrative arc to your story. 

Debut non-fiction author Oana Velcu-Laitinen has had an up-and-down journey to publication. Now, having successfully launched her first non-fiction book, \"How to Develop Your Creative Identity at Work\", with Apress (an imprint of Springer Nature), she\'s learned a lot on the way. We spoke to Oana about using our editorial services, the surprising parts of being a non-fiction author, and the importance of finding a writing community. JW: Tell us a bit about you and your writing. Is this your first book? When did you start writing, and why? Ever since childhood, as a hobby, I’ve experimented with literary genres like poetry, short stories, novels and play scripts. In my professional life, in my late 20’s, I earned my PhD in Economics. Writing a book on creativity was not an aspiration for me ten years ago. Back then, I didn’t know that ‘the psychology of creativity’ existed as a domain of knowledge. Fortunately, in a moment of serendipity, I came across a blog article on the habits of highly creative people, which radically changed my professional life. The more I delved into research on creative thinking and creative beliefs, the more I got interested in writing about the versatility of creativity - a concept we all think we know. I couldn’t get the desire to write a book on the diversity of creative personalities out of my mind. My book, “How to Develop the Creative Identity at Work”, was published by Apress in October 2022. I like to think of it like a manifesto that reminds us to enact in our professional roles the multidimensionality of creativity: the out-of-the-box thinking, the resourcefulness, the creative skills and the drive for competence. Now after trying my hand at non-factual writing genres as a hobby, a doctoral thesis and a non-fiction book, I understand that writing is my medium of creative self-expression. JW: What were the challenges you faced when finding a publisher? In 2019 I started writing the first draft of the book. I knew nothing about the publishing industry, but I did have experience in writing and publishing academic papers. I learned that the quality of your ideas and the brand awareness of your university were both opening the doors to having your papers considered by academic journals. Fortunately, in a moment of serendipity, I came across a blog article on the habits of highly creative people, which radically changed my professional life. In June 2021, when I started pitching my non-fiction book to publishers, I realized I faced three challenges, at least: I had a book on a niche topic that was not in the field of expertise of the editors I was pitching the book to. I was a first-time author. I have been working as a knowledge solopreneur for 6 years. My clients know the value I provide - but my name meant nothing to the editors I was reaching out to. Yet, I was driven by my vision to write a book that brought a refreshing perspective on creativity. I hoped to contribute to the field but skip the academic filter, carrying the message directly to the general public. At the end of September 2021, chance showed kindness to me when an editor from a traditional publishing company in London replied with interest in my submission. We exchanged a couple of emails that kept me awake at night and led to no deal. JW: What kinds of resources did you find useful along the way? Like a person who burns their feet walking on hot sand, I had burnt my aspirations stepping into the publishers’ territory. I started looking online for a writers’ community that would tell me that everything would be sorted out one way or another. And that’s when Jericho Writers came into my life.  I hoped to contribute to the field but skip the academic filter, carrying the message directly to the general public. It didn’t matter that Jericho addressed fiction authors mostly. Reading the free newsletters reminded me that I am not the only person in the world with a book to publish. After joining Jericho, I decided to change my strategy and reach out to literary agents. Throughout November 2021, I kept receiving replies like, “Thank you for your submission. We considered your work, and unfortunately, we feel it isn’t a fit for us.” I started to look at the bright side: “Well, at least they replied politely.”. I then opted for the Jericho Writers mentoring service and agent one-to-ones. All the while, I was looking forward to Harry’s next email. In one of the December 2021 newsletters, he asked the question, “Do you love your writing?” That question gave me energy. In January 2022, I bought the Agent Submission Pack Review. Paul Roberts, the editor who reviewed my application, helped me revise the query letter and inspired me to rewrite the book\'s introduction.  Overall, meeting Paul was like breathing fresh air after weeks of illness. He also confirmed my guess that for a non-fiction book, it’s best to pitch the book directly to the publishing houses. With renewed strength, I got back to reaching out to traditional publishers. In March 2022, the editor of a publishing house in the US showed interest only to decide after two weeks that it wasn’t a fit after all. Then, with the last drops of hope, I sent my application to Apress, an imprint of Springer Nature. The submission must have been sent under a lucky star, as at the beginning of April 2022, I signed a contract with them. Meeting [my editor] was like breathing fresh air after weeks of illness. JW: Were there any surprises? After the introduction talk with the acquisition editor at Apress, she asked me to provide the name of an expert in the psychology of creativity - a professor who would be the technical reviewer for the book. I knew many names of prolific researchers in the field but have never been in contact with any of them. In my panic, I remembered a paper that I liked so much that I’d heard myself saying, “One day, I’d like to work with this author.”. Thanks to Apress, that day had come. I emailed professor Vlad Glaveanu the introduction of my final manuscript. He replied within a few hours with an enthusiastic “yes”, agreeing to be part of the editorial team. Publishing a non-fiction book on a niche topic as a first-time author is a test of how much you love your writing and how much you believe in your idea. And to pass the test and keep your sanity, it helps to have a community that lifts you up and the luck to find an editor who is giving a chance to books they haven’t considered before. Publishing a non-fiction book on a niche topic as a first-time author is a test of how much you love your writing and how much you believe in your idea. JW: Do you have any advice for writers looking for a home for their non-fiction book right now? I would avoid setting a timetable for getting the book published. It took several months to find my publisher, and in many cases it can take a lot longer. Instead, focus on reaching out to one publisher at a time and working with yourself to stay hopeful. So, how do you stay inspired during this time? Firstly, I believe that the professional network is a safe haven. Who are the people in your network who have published books? Reach out to them, and ask them about their success and failures. What did they do right so that you can adapt to your circumstances? Second, online writers\' communities can provide refuge and fuel hope. There are many communities out there - you’ll just have to find the one that suits you. For instance, the thing I liked most about Jericho Writers was the underlying feeling of authenticity and talent for writing, above all else. Online writers\' communities can provide refuge and fuel hope. Third, remember that there is a time and place for everything. A time to lose hope. A time to gain it back. A time for dead ends. A time for victory. As long as you keep a flexible mind and try out new strategies, you will be closer to your goal. And there can be situations when changing the goal enables the successful publication of your book. Fourth and last, do not shy away from taking a break and allowing yourself a boost of positivity with someone you love or doing something else that you love. Writing means a lot for authors, but if we let it take over everything else, writing becomes an obsession. And we want to keep it as a passion that makes us into the best versions of ourselves.    About Oana Oana Velcu-Laitinen is a NeuroLeadership coach and trainer with focus on creative thinking to enhance work performance. So far, she has worked with researchers, change leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals seeking career growth. Oana holds a PhD in Economics from Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland. Her motto is, “To know job satisfaction, know your creativity.” Find out more about Oana\'s book here. She also offers NueroLeadership coaching here. Follow her on LinkedIn, and listen to her on Teach the Geek Podcast, IDEAS+LEADERS, & CloudReachers.

When it comes to the stories that stay with us, it’s often not a compelling plot, or even a book’s premise, that we remember: it’s how the characters made us feel, particularly when they achieved their hard-won goals.   Because character goals are less visible than gorgeous prose and slick metaphors, they get less attention than they should, despite how they shape our experience. Today, that’s what we’re here to remedy.   In this article, we’ll cover:   What are character goals?  Why are character goals important?  Internal vs. external character goals  Character goal story examples  How to create goals for your characters  A definitive list of character goals  Frequently asked questions  So, what exactly are character goals, and how do you choose the aims of characters in your stories?    What Are Character Goals?  Character goals are the objects of a character’s wants or needs, and what their actions aim to achieve. When we talk about character goals, this usually refers to a story’s main character (a.k.a. the protagonist), though other characters can and do have their own agendas and goals, too. A character\'s goals can be externally and internally driven — preferably, both.   In her book on writing craft, Story Genius, Lisa Cron defines these difficult goals — because if they were easy, there would be no story, right? — as the ‘story problem’. This problem isn’t just the “single, escalating problem” a main character can’t avoid, it’s one that “causes the protagonist to struggle with a specific internal conflict”, with that character’s development changing their worldview by the end.   Ideally, we want both external and internal goals because they carry more weight. Cron states that “story is about … what the protagonist has to learn, to overcome, to deal with internally in order to solve the problem that the external plot poses.” This is true of the stories that stay with us; they resonate, not because of the compelling plot, or even how unique the concept is, but because we identify with the main character and the meaning they make from what happens to them.   But just why are character goals important? To answer this, let’s look at what happens when we take them away.   Why Are Character Goals Important?  Picture this, in any category or genre: you’re reading a book with a main character that you like enough, with a plot that’s interesting enough, and the writing’s fine. But for some reason, you’re just not loving this book. It’s not gripping you. Why? You decide to give it one last chapter. Finally, at the end of that chapter, it hits you: the main character is coasting. The book’s plot is action-packed, but this character is just being propelled from scene to scene and doesn’t really seem to mind, or care. In fact, you don’t actually know what the main character cares about at all.   Cool… Except that you’re experiencing the story through this main character’s eyes. If they don’t care, you don’t care. You’re not invested. And now, you’re about to toss that book right out the window.   Now imagine that it’s your story, and someone else is reading it. See the problem?   According to Lisa Cron from earlier, “this is where writers inadvertently fail … they write and rewrite and polish an impressive stack of pages in which a bunch of things happen, but none of it really matters”.   The reason why is this: without internal and external character goals, it’s not a story.   This is why character goals are so important, because they connect the stuff that happens in your story to why we should care ie. because your main character cares. Personal goals give characters agency, a reason to slog forward against all odds. Sometimes the story might start by giving your character a good shove first, but eventually, they’ll need to take the wheel. When they do, it’s generally because a key obstacle has arisen in the story’s central conflict. When your character\'s goal and obstacle are equally strong and opposed, this is where the magic happens, as it ratchets up tension, suspense, and in turn, the conflict. No one will be tossing your story out the window, now!   So, we know why character goals are so crucial to great storytelling, and we’ve talked about internal and external goals. Now let’s dig a little deeper into them.  Internal Vs. External Character Goals  Internal Goals  Internal goals come from inside main characters, and are motivated by their wants and needs — which can be different. For example, in a dystopian story, your character’s ‘need’ may be survival, but their ‘want’ may revolve around never having found love before the apocalypse (sob).   The simplest yet broadest breakdown of personal goals that I’ve seen is psychiatrist Dr. William Glasser’s \'Choice Theory\', which lists 5 basic needs:  Survival  Love and belonging  Power  Freedom  Fun  If you’re looking to pin down a character’s goal, thinking big picture like this can be a good place to start (more on this later).   Circling back to Lisa Cron again, one of the ideas she proposes in her book is that not only does each main character have a goal, but they also have what she refers to as an “impossible goal: to achieve [their] desire and remain true to the fear that’s keeping [them] from it”. What Cron is saying is that, deep down, there’s an internal obstacle that’s self-sabotaging your protagonist, and it’s your job as a writer to develop their character arc so that they can grow by the story’s end. Which is brilliant! Yes, it’s another conflict to manage, but it also ups the stakes in a way that adds layers and breeds authentic characterisation, so your character is deeply three-dimensional. This can prove to be exciting if your main character is an unreliable narrator — think the protagonist Tyler Durden in Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, and that finale.   External Goals  External goals originate from outside main characters, often in the form of some other character (eg. the antagonist) or organisation’s visible goals.   These external character goals are where the surface events of the plot come in, with the goal being a one-sentence summary of what the main character is trying so hard to do, like save the world from the big bad villain.   External goals can also include less personified objectives like finding an item, winning a war, or reaching a destination.   Character Goal Examples  The Fellowship Of The Ring By J. R. R. Tolkien  Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series is a good one to start with, as most people have either read the books, watched the films, or at the very least, seen the memes — and know that “one does not simply walk into Mordor”. Yet, this is exactly what main character Frodo Baggins’ external goal is: to journey to Mordor’s Mount Doom and toss the One Ring into its fiery pit.   Frodo’s internal goal is trickier. On the surface, you could say that it’s his struggle not to succumb to the ring’s terrible power; but really, in the book, it feels more about fulfilling Bilbo’s legacy as a way to thank and honour his uncle.   Wuthering Heights By Emily Brontë  Apart from being a brooding gothic romance on par with Romeo and Juliet, Brontë’s seminal classic is also a fantastic example of internal goals fuelling external goals, and those goals changing over time.   Enter Heathcliff, a homeless child adopted by the Earnshaws, whose external goal is to survive usurping the family’s son as the new favourite. Heathcliff’s internal goal is love and belonging, which he finds with the Earnshaws’ daughter Catherine. But when Mr. Earnshaw dies and that son relegates Heathcliff to lowly servitude — and Catherine agrees to marry someone else as marrying Heathcliff would degrade her status — Heathcliff’s external goals take a turn. He vanishes, returning years later with unexplained wealth, but Catherine is already married and dies after his return. Heathcliff’s love then morphs into vindictive obsession, as he takes revenge on anyone who got in their way… Or in his way, more generally.   Her Majesty’s Royal Coven By Juno Dawson  Times-bestselling author Juno Dawson’s 2022 hit is an urban paranormal tale about a UK government department of witches (cov.uk as their website? Utter genius). This book is another great example of blending an internal and external goal to drive the story. The main character is ex-HMRC witch Niamh, whose external goal is to protect young trans witch Theo from HMRC — whose leader thinks teen Theo is the prophesied ‘sullied child’ who’ll ruin them. Cleverly aligned is Niamh’s internal goal, which is to let people in after losing her husband to war a decade earlier, starting with fostering teenage Theo and ending in letting herself find love again.   The Martian By Andy Weir  Weir’s thrilling debut science-fiction novel (and 2015 film directed by Ridley Scott, featuring Matt Damon) tells the story of American astronaut Mark Watney. He’s stranded on Mars, communications with Earth are down, and his crew thinks he’s dead. Not surprisingly, Mark’s external goal is to survive until he can be rescued, with his internal goal equally about survival, just more in terms of mental health and never giving up in the face of adversity.   Hamlet By William Shakespeare  Lastly, Hamlet, like Heathcliff, is another example of a main character with complex, richly woven internal and external goals.   Shakespeare’s play starts simply. Hamlet sees a family member’s ghost, his father’s, who tells him to avenge his murder as committed by Hamlet’s uncle (who’s become king and married Hamlet’s mother). Hamlet’s external goal is clear. His internal goal, however, is not wanting to kill his uncle, and he gives a multitude of reasons why throughout the story that essentially boil down to Hamlet being a thinker, not a killer.   Yet this comes undone in the final scene, where Hamlet’s uncle moves to kill him — and, furious after all is revealed, Hamlet finally fulfils his deadly vow.   How To Create Goals For Your Characters  1. Pre-Plan Your Character Goals  I say pre-plan as I’ve tackled character goals after drafting a story before, and believe me when I tell you it’s way easier if you start with them! Not only do goals give you a main character’s internal compass, but they also tend to pre-populate that character’s responses to the story’s events. This means you’re less likely to feel as though you’re beating a path to the plot as you write it, and more likely to find your character drives the story — which is infinitely less stressful. Going back to our definition of external goals, these will generally be pretty obvious and dependent on your story’s concept: solving a murder, winning a competition, stopping a war etc. My biggest tip is to put that goal upfront as soon as possible, so readers know what they’re in for. Check out our list of goals in the next section for some ideas.  2. Include Internal Goals  As you may have noted, internal character goals are massively important, as they help fully realise your main characters. Internal goals are easiest to pre-plan when you have either just a character, or a character and a good story idea, as leading with this means that you can jump straight into goals and character arcs. But all is not lost if you’ve been focusing on your story idea first.   Here, the trick is to ensure your main character begins with an internal goal that aligns with or is upended by the plot, and therefore the external goal they’re working towards. I’ll give you an example: in my novel, the protagonist must travel to a new city and find an ancient object. However, her internal struggle is that she doesn’t believe that she’s the right person for the job; she’s afraid of what it will mean if she succeeds. This fear adds a layer of complexity, as well as upping the stakes as she’s not just fulfilling the plot — she’s self-actualising to prove herself wrong, and growing by the story’s conclusion as a direct result.   3. Plan Your Plot Points  OK, so you’ve pre-planned both your character’s internal and external goals. Great! Now it’s time to put them into action. Plotters will love this part, but if you’re a pantser, it’s definitely worth your while, too — perhaps just in less granular detail.   Your plot points will depend on what kind of story structure you’re planning to follow (three acts? Five acts? One of Christopher Booker’s seven basic plots?), but the key is to pin down a timeline so that each major step in your main character’s external goal, for example, happens when you need to amp up the story’s suspense. This helps to space out and pace significant events while still meeting each act’s milestones.   4. Consider Including Scene Goals  If you’re a pantser, this may be a plot too far, but scene goals work to ensure that your main character’s external goal is on track, and they can also be used as a checklist for their internal goal and its development. And just to clarify — your character’s external goal can and may change (their ally was the baddie all along, what a twist!), so if that’s the case, scene goals will need to align with their internal goal instead.   To do this, use an outline of your plot points to drill down into a list of story scenes. For each scene, then note your main character’s internal and external scene goals; which should be related to their overarching story goals. You can also do this for secondary characters eg. if they have POVs.   5. Write!  You’ve done the hard work on character goals. Congratulations! If you’re inspired, by all means, get writing. If you want to give everything a little time to settle before you kick off, that’s OK, too. Just don’t forget to write!  List Of Character Goals  Internal Character Goals  Realise potential (and overcome issues)  Find family  Find a place to belong   Find love  Live happily ever after  Have fun  Be remembered  Find fulfilment  External Character Goals  Defeat evil  Solve a crime  Free someone (eg a family member) Get revenge  Stop a war  Protect the nation’s interests  Challenge the status quo  Start a revolution  Find / steal an object  Travel somewhere new / old  Get a job  Start a business  Get rich / famous / powerful  Win a competition  Finish a project  Get married / divorced  Have a baby  Recover from illness  Settle a debt  Make amends  Survive  Self-sacrifice  Live forever  Break a curse  Change / save the past  Fulfil a prophecy  Change / save lives  Save the world  Frequently Asked Questions  What Are Some Character Goals?  Character goals can be internally or externally driven. Internal goals arise from inside a character, and are motivated by what they want or need. External goals come from outside a character, and are what they must undertake and usually succeed in by the end of a story.   Examples of character goals include: overcoming self-doubt, finding love, solving a crime, defeating evil, finishing a project, getting revenge, or saving the world.   How Do I Determine My Character’s Goal?  To determine a character’s goal, try starting with psychiatrist Dr. William Glasser’s ‘Choice Theory’, which details 5 basic human needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun. Depending on what your story is about, these should give you a jumping off point for a character goal that’s internal or external.   What\'s The Difference Between A Character’s Goal And Their Motivation?  A character’s goal is the object of their desire and what they’re trying to achieve, and can be internal or external in nature. This differs from a character’s motivation, which is the actual reason for their goal in the first place, and what drives them on. A character’s motivation is a result of the character’s life and guided by foundational beliefs, or misbeliefs — like seeking power due to an earlier loss of control.   Choosing Character Goals  As we’ve learnt, the stories that shape us do so because characters shape us — connecting us to their wants and needs, and to the authors who guide their hands. If we’re to learn and master such acts of modern magic, it’s up to us to create characters, with internal and external goals, that grow to leave readers spellbound.  

Not having enough time for all the things we want to do and write is probably the single feeling writers relate to most. We all have those strewn around notes of new ideas and unfinished scenes that get tucked into a drawer for later. And they all go to live in the “unfinished” corner of your mind palace. But sometimes, you’re feeling inspired to write but you want a final result that same day, with some closure. If you want to be able to practice your craft and have something to show for it relatively quickly, why not write flash fiction.  Maybe you can experiment, and write about an alternate universe or a post-apocalyptic future. In this article, you’re going to familiarise yourself with the nature of flash fiction, and you’ll get more flash fiction writing prompts than you\'ll know what to do with. What Is Flash Fiction?   Flash fiction is a very short story with a word count of approximately 100 to 1000 words. (Unless, of course, you\'re writing a story of just six words, like the one often attributed to Hemingway.) These short stories usually start right in the thick of the action, at a dramatic moment, since there isn’t a lot of time to warm up. But the short nature of this sudden fiction form is also what makes it so exciting. Flash fiction needs to feature some form of growth or development for the main character, as it\'s still a complete story, which can be challenging given the constraints of its length. You can also play with different perspectives, from that of your best friend, to an evil wizard, or the young boy next door. To make things easy on you here are some prompts for your great flash fiction story, separated by genre:   Flash Fiction Prompts General Prompts  He stood outside the Chinese restaurant on 5th street a little too long to appear as someone contemplating the menu. But it was now or never. He had to tell her. The door swung open and he took his chance.   “This is not what I had in mind,” she said to her sister, as she picked the lock to the local metaphysical store. A moment later it gave a satisfying click.  She felt disappointment spread through her. “These experimental drugs don’t even work. What are they supposed to do again?”  Pushing a pram through the mall made shoplifting easy. \'The Christmas rush\', James observed, as he walked slowly through carol-filled Westfield, \'only made it easier\'.   She took one look at her new roommate, and realised she had made the biggest mistake of her life.  “Why are you wearing a wedding dress to the office?” she asked incredulously. I looked in the mirror, at the sea of diamantes and lace. “I have my reasons.”  “You look exactly like someone I used to know,” she said to the barista. The woman was trying her to best to ignore her, but Liz pressed on. “Where do I know you from?”  She opened her husband\'s text messages, even though she knew she shouldn’t. He was in the shower and she only had ten minutes maximum to prove her wild theory right.  I wasn’t supposed to speak at the wedding, and yet there I was, microphone in hand. 160 or so faces looking at me with concern.  “Why are you wearing Mum’s boots? You know it’s forbidden.”  She pointed at the cupboard and smiled, “The treasure is in there.”  “The code is 2412, but hurry we are running out of time.”  He had crashed his car and knew he would have to do the rest of the journey on foot.  The green dress was waiting for her in her hotel room.  “I can’t believe you brought me here,” she said to her husband. “You said that was the last time.”  Fantasy Prompts  One thing I didn’t expect was for there to be goblins in the world. And I really didn’t expect them be chewing on my furniture in the middle of the night.  She should never have cast a spell in the garden centre.   “When I said elves are good creatures,” her father thundered through the living room, “I didn’t mean bring one as a date to Thanksgiving!”  “Get the hell out of my way.” Suzy blinked in horror; not just because that was a rude way to start the day, but also because that was the first thing her cat had ever said to her.  Eliza always thought that vampires were supposed to be sexy. The man currently gulfing down Greek yoghurt from her fridge, fangs barred and creamy white for everyone to see, was decidedly not sexy at all.   As the beast soared into the sky, Kiera realised this was going to be the last time she would ever ride a dragon.   “Here you go,” the yellow-eyed mermaid said as she returned my mother’s locket to me. “And next time you scuba dive, don’t be so sloppy.”  She wasn’t like other girls... She could smell people’s emotions from miles away.   He downed the sweet potion and felt the spell spread through him. This was going to be one Bowling State Championship no one was likely to forget.  Eliza touched the flowers on the grave and they came back to life. “Being an elemental has its perks,” she said to her sister. “Now let’s get what we came for.”  The werewolf was waiting for her in the alleyway, artefact in hand.  She ran her hand against the merman’s scales, and smiled.   Romance Prompts  The last person you want to run into when you’re buying Ben and Jerry’s in bulk in your hometown’s Costco is your ex-boyfriend. The second is his mother.   “I’m pretty sure you are not supposed to find your divorce lawyer cute!” she whispered so he wouldn’t hear.  He had walked me home. The entire 6 miles, through the city and in the rain. It was time to tell him the truth.  “From the first time I saw you dancing on stage, I knew there would be no one else.”  His lips were inches from mine, his breathing heavy. “Say that to my face,” he growled.  He pointed up at the ceiling and grinned. “What about the mistletoe?”  “If you walk out that door, don’t bother coming back.” She took a step back and closed it.  1333 roses were waiting in her living room that morning, just like he had promised. She kicked one of the vases in anger.   “How dare you? After everything you’ve done, how dare you come back to this bakery?”  “Just shut up and follow directions,” she said, guiding his hands through the pizza dough.   He checked his pocket. There it was, a phone number with a little heart next to it.  “Who is your date?” her boss asked. “I’m not sure. I just met him on the bus ride over here.”  He kissed him beneath the cherry blossom tree. Just in time for the festival to begin.  Thriller Prompts  She looked down at the latest case file and took a bite of her cinnamon swirl. You would think looking at this kind of stuff would rob someone of their appetite, but double homicides only made Jennifer hungrier.   Her dog whined and pawed at the door, just as the outside sensors went off and a stranger became drenched in light.   “There’s something really wrong with this innkeeper,” I whispered to my wife as we took turns looking through the peep hole. The innkeeper knocked again as I shuddered. “Why is he holding a candelabra?”  Lucas was the first patient to ever tell me they had killed someone. As I sat there, facing him across my fancy office furniture, I wasn’t sure what my next move should be.  “Stop looking at me like I killed my husband,” Clara laughed that tinkling laugh of hers. “Here, try a cookie instead. Oatmeal raisin, my mother’s recipe.”  It was a very strange party. For one, all the drinks were mocktails. And two, there was a body in the living room.  He was standing right in the middle of the driveway, wet and angry. So, she pressed on the gas pedal.  “Open the garage door,” she screeched, clawing at the metal. “Open it!”  A shadow moved between the trees. Bruce tucked his camera away.  The precinct was a lot smaller and a lot quainter than she had imagined.  It was a good day to identify a body. She took a step forward.  Holiday Prompts  I held on to the stair railing for dear life, and looked down at the party. There was only one face I recognised, and it was the last one I wanted to see on Christmas day.  Suddenly, there he was... Santa Claus in the flesh, hovering over my mince pies. I said the first thing that came to my mind. “You don’t look anything like the Coca Cola adverts…”  Everyone at the party was staring at her Halloween costume in horror.  She squeezed it tight. It was the weirdest Christmas present she had ever received.  It was really hot inside the Easter Bunny outfit, but it was the only way to avoid him.  He was the last person she ever expected to see at her Chanukah dinner table.   \'Thanksgiving was supposed to be fun. Not dangerous.\' He thought, as he tucked the knives away into the safe.  The birthday clown had arrived 45 minutes late to the birthday party and smelling of rum.  She looked outside at the blanket of white. Finally, her first snowy Christmas!   She was the meanest carol singer in the province…  Science Fiction Prompts  I frowned at the sales person. “You’re telling me you sold me an AI that is meant to clean my home but instead just makes a mess and I… can’t even return him?”  The doctor smiled at me warmly. “Don’t be nervous, many people are interested in cloning themselves. Why don’t you take a seat and tell me your concerns?”  Tears streamed down her face as she stared at her husband. “I don’t want a robot son. I want a real child. I told you that before and you just don’t listen to me.”  This was her first time in a coffee shop on another planet and she hoped they did lattes the right way.  The suit melted directly into her skin. She looked at her new reflection in the mirror.  She turned to her 3D printer. It was time for some breakfast.   He avoided eye contact with the machine next to him. She gave him the creeps.  “I can’t leave the spaceship right now, I’m waiting for an important delivery.”  “You’ve been to the edge of the galaxy,” she said, twirling her wine. “Describe it to me.”  Frequently Asked Questions   What Are The Best Prompts For Flash Fiction?    The best prompts are the ones that leave something to the imagination and make us want to put pen to paper straight away. They should instantly make you think \'Who? What? Where?\' and fill you with a desire to fill in those blanks.  How Do Flash Fiction Stories End?   Flash fiction should end with a problem being resolved and with the main character transformed in some way (however small). Writing Flash Fiction All of us writers have to hone our craft, and as we well know nothing works better than practice. Flash fiction is a great way to strengthen your writing because it’s quick, makes you think, and it’s a way to get feedback regularly. These prompts will challenge your imagination due to the nature of flash fiction, and lead you to new ideas. Who knows, one of your flash fictions could end up being the seed for your next novel.   Happy writing! 

Dialogue prompts, and writing exercises in general, are an excellent way for writers to get their creative juices flowing.  They provide a starting point and inspiration for writing conversational dialogue between two or more characters in your novel or short story.  In this article, we will discuss 45 dialogue writing prompts that you can use in your story; whether you\'ve just started writing or don\'t know how to start your final scene. What Are Dialogue Prompts?  Dialogue prompts are excellent for writers looking to improve their dialogue skills. With dialogue prompts, writers are given a specific situation or scenario to write about, helping them to focus their dialogue and create more natural speech.  Additionally, dialogue prompts can help writers to practice different dialogue styles and experiment with different voices for their characters. They can consist of a single line, or contain the opening of a conversation, and each provides a strong idea that will spark inspiration. Whether you\'re a beginner or a seasoned pro, dialogue prompts are a great way to improve your dialogue writing!  Tips For Using Dialogue Prompts  Writing dialogue can be one of the most challenging aspects of creating a short story or novel. After all, how do you capture the way people actually speak?  You can quickly improve your dialogue-writing skills with a few simple tips: Pay Attention To The Way People Talk In Real Life Notice the rhythm of their speech and how they use inflection to emphasise specific words. Then, when it\'s time to write dialogue, try to capture that same natural rhythm.  Keep Your Dialogue Brief And To The Point People rarely speak in long, drawn-out speeches, so avoid writing dialogue that sounds unnatural.  Make Sure Your Dialogue Matches Your Genre If you\'re writing a romance, for example, your dialogue should contain some love and passion. On the other hand, if you\'re writing a thriller, your dialogue should be full of tension and suspense. Matching your dialogue to your story\'s genre helps set the tone for your story and engages your readers. Many writers find that trying dialogue exercises, such as using writing prompts, helps them write a new story. Experiment with them - there\'s no wrong way to use a prompt! 45 Dialogue Prompts To Jumpstart Your Writing  \"I\'m going to give you ten seconds to pick that shirt up off the floor.\"  \"How did you last only five days at that job?\"  \"I\'ve had it with this guinea pig! Greg, get over here!\"  \"Things haven\'t been right between us since Thailand. You can\'t say you haven\'t felt the same.\"  \"I\'ve said it before, and I\'ll say it again: This isn\'t what I signed up for!\"  \"You\'re not listening to me. Did you ever really care?\"  \"It\'s time you loosen up and have some fun for once! Let\'s go roller skating!\"  \"I don\'t know why you keep on denying that we need help with this project.\"  \"You are supposed to be my best friend, but you\'re not holding up your end of the bargain.\"  \"You don\'t think I know what you\'re doing? I see you sneak out at night.\"  \"I\'m tired of being the only one who takes this seriously. Is everything a joke?\"  \"You think I\'m being unreasonable? You should listen to yourself some time!\"  \"What makes you think I don\'t understand what\'s happening here?\"  \"The dog or me. Your choice.\"  \"It\'s time for a change - and it needs to start with our family.\"  \"I can\'t believe we made it. What were we thinking?\"  \"It feels like I\'ve been waiting my whole life for this moment.\"  \"I don\'t think I can ever get enough of you, no matter how much time we spend together.\"  \"Don\'t turn around - I\'m warning you!\"  \"It\'s too late for us now. We\'re all going to die.\"  \"My world changed when you walked into it - and I\'ll never be the same again.\"  \"Don\'t move... I can feel your fear from here.\"  \"I can\'t do that! It\'d be like trying to say \'supercalifragilisticexpialidocious\' three times fast!\"  \"I know what you did. And you won\'t go unpunished.\"  \"I\'m surrounded by the most ridiculous people in the world. What am I going to do with all of you?\"  \"The only way out is through me...\"  \"Didn\'t I tell you not to touch that button? Now, look what you\'ve done!\"  \"I bet you I can get to the top of this mountain before you can - what do ya say?\"  \"Let\'s all take a break and come back to this later. Agreed?\"  \"This isn\'t the world I remember. What happened here?\"  \"And this is where they found the body? That can\'t be right!\"  \"We don\'t have much time. We need to get out of here now!\"  \"We\'ve been searching for this land for so long - but now that we\'re here, what do we do next?\"  \"Do you think we\'ll ever make it out of this forest alive?\"  \"The fate of our kingdom rests on that diamond. Where did you hide it?\" \"We\'re in over our heads - but it\'s okay, I have a plan!\"  \"I can\'t believe we have to stay late! How are we supposed to get out of here?\"  \"Well, here’s the bad news. We need to find £1000, and fast. Any ideas?\"  \"Is anyone else as bored as I am?... Ooh, I know! Let\'s get the Ouija board.\"  \"I\'m so sick of being cooped up. Want to take a drive?\"  \"You won\'t believe what happened to me today.\"  \"Did you hear that strange noise? We should check it out.\"  \"Let\'s make a pact - no matter what happens, we\'ll always be there for each other.\"  \"You will not believe the dream I had last night! You were in it, but it was terrifying.\"  \"Words cannot describe the beauty of this place. I\'ve never seen anything like it!\"  Frequently Asked Questions  What Are The 5 Elements Of Dialogue?  Dialogue includes the following elements: the speaker (who is speaking?); tone & mood (how does the speaker sound when they\'re speaking?); content (what is the dialogue about?); interaction: (how do other characters respond to the dialogue?); and setting (where does the dialogue take place, and what environment is it taking place in?) How Do You Write Compelling Dialogue?  You can write great dialogue by avoiding long speeches, using dialogue to reveal character and advance the story\'s plot, and using it to create tension and conflict in your story. And by using these prompts, of course! Using Dialogue Writing Prompts  Creative dialogue writing prompts are a great way to jumpstart your story ideas and your writing. They can help you get out of a rut and start writing, push through writer\'s block, or provide a new challenge to keep your creative writing fresh.  By mixing up your dialogue, you can also create more engaging and believable characters. So, why wait? Try some dialogue prompts and get writing! 

Do you love reading about the dark depths of the human soul? Do you want to create characters who are drawn into worlds of evil serial killers? Do stories where the human mind is put to the test entice you? Then you might be a fan of psychological thrillers! This guide will explain just what a psychological thriller is, equip you with some top tips for writing your own, and give you some fantastic recommendations from the genre.  What Is A Psychological Thriller? So what is a psychological thriller? Well, while the wider thriller genre is characterised by suspense, action and darkness, psychological thrillers focus on the element of darkness. Action adventure thrillers are often pacy and events progress with a breakneck speed, while many psychological thrillers are likely to be ‘quieter’ and more focused on the inner life of their protagonist(s).   It is likely in a psychological thriller that external events will prompt an inner crisis, where perhaps a protagonist investigating a crime finds themselves with a dissolving sense of reality due to the investigation’s impact on them. A suspicion about a loved one might prompt our main character to spiral, questioning what they truly know about others around them – and themselves.   Psychological thrillers have obvious associations with the crime genre, but a less well-known aspect is how strongly they are related to the gothic genre. The tension between appearance and reality, a preoccupation with altered or disturbed mental states, and isolation of their protagonists are all common features of both the gothic and psychological thrillers.  Types Of Psychological Thriller There are a number of types of psychological thrillers, which all share the key element of a preoccupation with darkness and the inner life of their protagonist(s).   Domestic  These stories will often have ordinary characters living mundane lives that are disrupted by an inciting incident. This incident prompts a crisis for the main character, who becomes more isolated as they struggle with an external mystery and an internal conflict.   Supernatural  Supernatural psychological thrillers often incorporate elements of the paranormal and occult, which intertwine with the protagonist’s perception of reality and may be a factor in the balance of their mind becoming disturbed.   Revenge  In these types of stories, protagonists are driven by vengeance. Perhaps they are the one who is wronged, or someone important to them was. Either way, the desire for revenge at all costs takes a toll on their life, relationships, and ultimately their sanity.   Workplace  The workplace is a perfect setting for a psychological thriller – the possibilities for stressful situations, life-defining events, and toxic relationships are endless. Workplace psychological thrillers will centre around a sudden change in someone’s working life with ever-increasing fallout, threatening the protagonist’s career, relationships, and perhaps even their sense of identity.   Cuckoos  Cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, to be raised as their own. The fear of an interloper stealing your very identity – while no one else seems to even notice anything is amiss – is a key feature of the gothic genre with the archetypical doppelgänger: a chilling and unnatural double. Psychological thrillers featuring the fear of replacement play on this trope, and can cross over with the ‘domestic’ subgenre – someone being replaced in a relationship – or ‘workplace’ – being usurped in their career.  The Key Elements Of A Psychological Thriller From the types outlined above, it is clear to see that a psychological thriller will likely feature a protagonist who experiences an inner crisis due to external events. That crisis will often cause the protagonist to question their understanding of reality and truth, especially if they experience an altered state of mind. This also links to one of the most enjoyable elements of a psychological thriller – the unreliable narrator. The reliability of other characters around your protagonist is also brought into question. Who is telling the truth? Who thinks they are telling the truth, but actually is not? Who can be trusted?   All of these aspects of a psychological thriller play out in the genre’s exploration of the darkness in humanity – the capacity for evil in an individual or societal group. The more familiar the settings, individuals, or groups, the more chilling the exploration of the potential for evil can be.   Familiarity provides excellent opportunities for twists – play with your reader’s expectations of families, colleagues and social groups so that you can pull the rug out for them at the opportune moment.   Ultimately, the best psychological thrillers live and die on the authenticity of their protagonists. Providing a backstory that explains who your character is and why they act in the way they do is a key element in creating an authentic and compelling character – but you may want to hold elements of that context back, so that the character’s history forms part of the twists and turns of your plot.   Examples Of Psychological Thrillers The Last House On Needless Street By Catriona Ward Catriona Ward’s gripping psychological thriller fits well within the ‘revenge’ subgenre, as one of the main protagonists, Dee, is engaged on a years-long crusade to find out what happened to her sister. Convinced that the reclusive Ted is the prime suspect in her kidnapping, Dee sets up in the house opposite his to watch him and wait for her chance to prove his guilt. However, nothing in this story is quite what it seems – including the characters themselves. Ward’s gradual revelation of her characters’ backstories is a masterclass in building a compelling and shocking plot that keeps readers engaged until the last page.   The Talented Mr Ripley By Patricia Highsmith A classic of the genre, Highsmith’s Ripley stories show him inveigling his way into the lives of others – making it an excellent example of the ‘cuckoo’ subgenre. The tension in the plot is driven largely by Ripley striving to replace others in his quest for acceptance and affection, and the lengths that he is willing to go to in order to achieve this. As a result of his subterfuge, even the most innocuous scenes and events are dripping with tension.  OldBoy By Park Chan-wook Another classic in the ‘revenge’ subgenre, Park’s stylish and disturbing film follows Dae-su, a businessman who is inexplicably kept prisoner in an apartment for years. Swearing revenge on his mysterious captors, Dae-su embarks on a mission to discover who they are once he is released, and to take his revenge. Twists and turns follow, including who is actually taking revenge on whom.   My Sister The Serial Killer By Oyinkan Braithwaite Korede has a quiet and ordered life – except for when it comes to clearing up her sister Ayoola’s messes. Braithwaite’s examination of Korede’s relationship with her sister, how it developed and what it implicates her in, is the backbone of this darkly hilarious domestic psychological thriller. The juxtaposition of the mundanity of Korede’s life and the brutality of the murders Ayoola blithely commits provides a gradually escalating conflict – especially when Ayoola sets her sights on the man Korede is secretly in love with.   #Fashion Victim By Amina Akhtar Akhtar’s darkly comedic take on the – literally – cutthroat fashion industry has elements of the ‘workplace’ and ‘cuckoo’ psychological thriller subgenres. Anya St. Clair has fought her way up the fashion world totem pole, and her main rival is also the woman she most desires a friendship with – the beautiful and privileged Sarah Taft.  An entertainingly unreliable narrator, the increasingly unhinged Anya will do anything to get to where she wants to be, providing much of the dark humour of this novel.   How To Write A Psychological Thriller Include An Unreliable Narrator A psychological thriller features a protagonist whose perspective is or becomes compromised in some way – perhaps they are gaslit, or deceived, or suspect they are. They may be under the influence of mind-altering substances, or in the grip of an addition or condition that affects the balance of their mind. Whatever the reason is, your protagonist’s reliability being in question will provide much of the tension inherent in a psychological thriller’s plot. Playing with your readers\' expectations of who can be trusted makes for an enjoyably twisty plot as you gradually reveal what is really going on, and what the truth really is.   Steadily Build Tension In all thrillers, steadily increasing tension is a must. Lacking the sudden ‘jump scares’ notable to the wider thriller genre, the best psychological thrillers will gradually ramp up the tension to make an unputdownable read. But how to do this? Incorporating the key elements outlined above, such as twists, unreliable narrators, the exploration of darkness, and drip-feeding the reader key backstory information can all be utilised to increase tension. Also consider continually raising the stakes – what begins as a small, seemingly innocuous change in the protagonist’s life should snowball, widening the impact out to all corners of their life.   Give Your Characters Limitations Psychological thrillers often have a mystery at their centre, which is not resolved until the end. This mystery might be a large, external one – \'who was responsible for my loved one’s death?\' – or it might be internal and personal – \'am I going mad?\' In order to effectively build tension, introduce limitations to your character’s quest for the truth. Perhaps key evidence is missing, or other characters act as obstacles. Increasing the limitations (is their freedom restricted? Have all their friends/family/colleagues turned against them?) will work to increase the stakes as well, as solving the (murder) mystery becomes intertwined with vindicating themselves as well.  Create Plot Twists In Aristotle’s ‘Poetics’, he wrote: “tragedy represents not only a complete action but also incidents that cause fear and pity, and this happens most of all when the incidents are unexpected and yet one is a consequence of the other.” This is often paraphrased as the advice that plot twists should be ‘surprising yet inevitable’. Basically, you should not ‘cheat’ at plot twists by introducing something so out of left field that the reader could not possibly have seen it coming. Although a twist should be a shock, it should also retrospectively make complete sense. Developing such a twist is where your editing and revising skills come in – adding details in subsequent drafts once you’ve come up with your big twist enables you to lay a trail that, though hidden when first travelled, is obvious when your reader looks back.   Withhold Information This step comes in handy with other elements of writing a psychological thriller, such as having unreliable narrators, twists, and backstories. Holding back key information allows you to misdirect your reader, leading them to believe – or suspect – one thing is true, while in fact something else entirely is. Key information might include details about a character’s history, but might also take the form of what really happened during significant events, which is revealed as the plot progresses and the protagonist’s investigation takes them further towards the truth.   Frequently Asked Questions Is A Psychological Thriller A Horror? While a psychological thriller contains some aspects of horror, it is distinct in key ways. Horror stories have supernatural or occult elements, which are integral aspects of the genre, while not all psychological thrillers do. A horror is also more likely to have sudden, shocking events – also known as ‘jump scares’. Due to the focus on an internal conflict in psychological thrillers, jump scares are not often key features of the genre.  Some horror stories do have a strong psychological element to them, while other horror stories do not. The psychological horror genre consists of stories which contain elements of both the psychological thriller genre and the horror genre. Why Are Psychological Thrillers So Popular? There are a number of theories as to why psychological thrillers are so popular. Some psychologists suggest that people are drawn to stories which examine the awful things humans are capable of as a kind of preventative action – raising their awareness of these things so that they can recognise and avoid them in real life. Others have theorised that stories where things are initially strange and inexplicable, but where the truth is ultimately revealed, are cathartic and satisfying to consume – no matter how disturbing that truth may be.   What Are The Main Elements Of A Psychological Thriller? A psychological thriller will feature a protagonist who experiences an inner conflict prompted by external events. There will be a focus on the dark side of life, and gradually increasing tension. Often, protagonists will be unreliable – this can be due to having their perception affected by paranoia, substances, or obsession. The plot will feature twists; sometimes linked to the revelation of their characters’ backstories.   Writing Psychological Thrillers Making psychological thrillers allows us to plunge into the depths of darkness that people are capable of, but also provides us with an opportunity to shine a light on how humanity can survive – and even emerge triumphant – in the face of such darkness. Stories which show us a mind creaking under strain can also show us how terrible events can be overcome.   For all their grim and grit, psychological thrillers can ultimately be hopeful and inspiring stories, showing how resilience is possible even when things seem hopeless.  

When the word ‘trope’ comes to mind, we tend to think of something overused or reductive, as in recent years, tropes have been perceived as negative. But in this article, we\'re going to dig a little deeper. We\'ll look at some examples of tropes and how we can use them in literature, as we demystify literary tropes and answer some pressing questions regarding their function and use.   What Is A Trope?  A trope can either be a figure of speech or a recurrent theme or storyline, that a reader can relate to, but one that runs the danger of becoming a cliché if overused. ‘The chosen one’ is a popular trope in young adult and fantasy novels and basically explores how a character goes from being ordinary to extraordinary, case in point being Harry Potter. When used effectively, tropes can help writers craft stories that resonate with their readers. They can add perspective, meaning and freshness to our writing.   Today, tropes can be divided in to classic and modern. Literary critics have a lot to say about common tropes, so it is pertinent that we look at what the purpose of a literary trope might be.  The Purpose Of Literary Tropes When used properly, tropes can immediately elevate your writing, and also make your story more relatable. If the reader senses that your story is veering towards a theme that they\'re familiar with and enjoy reading, they know they\'re likely to enjoy it. While tropes are in constant danger of becoming clichés, which is probably why they get a lot of negative press, the fact remains that they can make our writing memorable.   Examples Of Literary Tropes  There are countless examples of classic and modern literary devices and tropes, and while it would obviously be impossible to list them all, we can at least discuss a few popular ones. There are some that have become clichés like the wicked stepmother and the damsel in distress, but there remain plenty that can add to the story:  Metaphors A metaphor is the art of describing one thing in terms of another for which it cannot be literally applicable. ‘He spoke to me with a wooden face’ means something else, but the implication in the figurative language is that the person was expressionless.  \'The tip of the iceberg\' is a well-known metaphor and trope. Hyperbole  Hyperbole is when we exaggerate for effect. It’s a very popular trope and used quite effectively in satire and humour.   Irony Irony is when the literal meaning and expression is the opposite of its underlying meaning. It is a very useful technique that has been employed to great effect by writers across the world. For example, a hypocrite preaching about the disadvantages of hypocrisy would be ironic. Similarly, if you\'re feeling very ill and respond with ‘I’ve never felt better’ to someone asking about your health, you’re being ironic.   Litotes Litotes is when two negatives are used to express a positive, like responding with ‘I’ve not been unwell’ instead of ‘I’m doing well.’   Love Triangles The love triangle is a common trope in literature wherein two people are in love with the same person. Often overused, this is a very popular romance trope that adds an extra layer of tension.   The Twilight Saga The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer is an excellent example of the love triangle trope. Bella falls in love with Edward, but also finds herself drawn to Jacob. Throughout the saga, there is an undercurrent of jealousy and competition as Edward and Jacob try to win her over. While we know deep down that Bella will probably choose Edward, Jacob’s love for her provides a lot of tension and keeps us turning the pages.    The Chosen One The \'chosen one\' trope is a staple in YA, science fiction, and fantasy novels (fantasy has lots of genre tropes), wherein a character - often the reluctant hero - goes from being ordinary to extraordinary.   The Hunger Games In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen goes from being an ordinary girl from District 12 to taking the place of her sister Primrose to compete in the Hunger Games. All of a sudden she’s gone from being an ordinary girl watching the new players being chosen to being ‘the chosen one’ herself. This trope is very useful in setting the tone of the story.   The Ticking Clock/Time Bomb The ticking time bomb trope is used effectively in TV series, movies, and other forms of pop culture. In this trope, there is usually a race against time where the characters need to fix a problem or everything will go up in flames.   24 and 2012 The television drama 24 made full use of this trope with each season spread over 24 hours, with the main protagonist having to solve a problem with a literal clock counting down the minutes. Similarly, the popular film 2012 also uses this trope. In the film, it is estimated that the world as we know it will cease to exist in a matter on months and in order to save a portion of the human race, special ships are being made. Not only does this kind of trope make everything more compelling, the sense of impending doom also prompts readers to keep turning the pages and causes viewers to stay glued to the screen.  Using Cities As Characters Using a city as a character is a trope that can be found in many literary genres. In this trope, the city is another character in the story. The city may be personified and given its own POV, or it may be a strong influential force. The Bastard Of Istanbul  This trope is used to by Elif Shafak in her novel, where Istanbul is brought to life and portrayed as an ever-changing creature. It grows and shrinks, all the while taking on the feelings and emotions of the protagonist.   How To Use Tropes In Your Own Writing Tropes can add a lot of depth and texture to our writing. However, it is essential that they\'re used properly.   The first step is to make sure the trope fits the story. Just because you\'re writing a romance novel doesn’t mean you have to add a love triangle. Romance novels work just as well without them. The point is to use a trope that gives the reader some sense of familiarity, but only do so if the trope fits the story.   Giving a twist to a familiar trope is an excellent way of infusing new life into a story. Psychological thrillers like Better Confess by Alan Gorevan and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn turn the ‘the man did it’ trope on its head to give us a fresh and compelling perspective. This showcases their mastery over storytelling and helps elevate them in the eyes of readers as excellent writers.   Fully understanding tropes is equally important. Instead of shying away from them because they\'re sometimes considered to be lazy writing, we need to understand tropes and use them to make our writing immense. Not all tropes are clichés.   Frequently Asked Questions   What Are Literary Trope Examples?  There are various kinds of tropes, some classic and others modern. Metaphors, litotes, irony and hyperbole are some examples of classic tropes; while love triangles, ‘the chosen one’, ‘the wise old man’, and ‘the damsel in distress’ are examples of more modern tropes.   What Is The Purpose Of Tropes In Literature?  Tropes can get a lot of negative press, as they can easily become clichés, but they can also be used to elevate your writing and make it more compelling. A trope establishes familiar territory for a reader, but we can just as easily twist the trope on its head and create a fresh reading experience.   Using Tropes There is no easy way to avoid tropes in creative writing. As a matter of fact, they shouldn’t be avoided at all, rather embraced. Not only can they help set the scene for the overall story, but they can also make the story more compelling, tense and readable. Hopefully this article will help you use tropes effectively in your own writing. Happy writing!

Debut author Sally-Anne Martyn first encountered us at the Festival of Writing in 2019. Her dark thriller, \'The Clinic\', was published in October 2022 by Joffe Books. We caught up with Sally-Anne about finding a community, and the resources she used to learn about publishing and eventually land her deal. JW: Tell us a little about you – when did you start writing? What are the main themes of your book? I started writing adult fiction in early 2018, and before then I had several articles printed in magazines and newspapers. I have always enjoyed darker stories, so it was no surprise to me (or anybody that knows me!) that my book was going to be a dark and creeping thriller. The themes of the book are about body image, the pressure of fitting in - and, ultimately, trying to fight against that. JW: When you realised you wanted to write a publishable novel, what kinds of resources did you seek out to help you? I read ‘how to’ books and listened to writing podcasts. My favourites were (and still are!) Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ and Will Storr’s ‘The Science of Storytelling.’ My first serious step was to find myself a mentor (the author, Sarah May) I saw this as my training in writing, so I was prepared to invest financially and really focus on the work. Once I had a book I went to the Festival of Writing in 2019 and spoke to agents there through the Jericho Writer\'s one-to-one service. This was a huge boost to my morale - I\'d worked hard and got very positive feedback from two agents (I have their words framed on my office wall to remind me!). I also went to writing and querying workshops, gathering as much information as I could on the publishing industry and the realities of getting an agent and/or published. Right before lockdown I also went to the Jericho Writers ‘Self-Publishing Day’ in London. This was really encouraging as provided a viable and exciting alternative if the traditional route didn’t work out. Once I had a book I went to the Festival of Writing in 2019 and spoke to agents there through the Jericho Writer\'s one-to-one service. This was a huge boost to my morale - I\'d worked hard and got very positive feedback from two agents (I have their words framed on my office wall to remind me!) JW: You’ve attended the Festival of Writing in York and are also very active as an author on social media. Do you have any advice for writers who are hoping to find a supportive writing community? It’s important to have people to speak to throughout the writing / querying and submission process. It can be tough, and knowing you’re not alone and not the first to go through it is extremely important. I am naturally introverted, so attending the festival was a nerve-wracking experience! I needn’t have worried though - you soon chat to people and create friendships. It’s easy to believe that everyone else is experienced and rallying along in their writing career, but that’s not the case. There is something for everyone to learn at the festival. If you can’t make a live event or don’t feel comfortable, go online and join writer’s communities like Jericho’s. Join Twitter, which is hugely populated by the publishing industry. Be authentic, follow writers you like and look out for agent wish lists (which are based on what they know publishers are looking for!). Engage with fellow writers and before you know it you will have a virtual community around you. It’s important to have people to speak to throughout the writing / querying and submission process. It can be tough, and knowing you’re not alone and not the first to go through it is extremely important. JW: How did you hone your feedback and eventually start querying agents? I always listen to feedback from my mentor and act on it, as she knows much more than me about the industry and the craft of writing. If you don’t have a mentor then I’d suggest finding a trusted source (not partner or parent!) who understands your genre and reads widely. I would wait until you have completed a draft first though. Too much opinion before then could derail your confidence and you’ll never finish. Regarding agents: Because of the positive experience I’d had with the Jericho one-to-ones when my manuscript was ready to go out, I did a couple more of those. These are a great opportunity to see how you get on with agents, find out if they like what you do, and if you gel with them. Just because somebody is a well-known, successful agent, doesn’t mean they are the best for you. I always listen to feedback from my mentor and act on it, as she knows much more than me about the industry and the craft of writing. I researched agents on their websites and found out the agents of writers that I enjoyed. Once I had a wish list based on all of the above, I prepared my submission package ready to send. Make sure you have a brilliant cover letter. There are many resources for doing this - read them first! It is the first thing agents look at and if doesn’t pull them in, they have a whole pile of others eagerly waiting. Think about when you go into a bookshop and can just pick one - you’ll be relying on the ‘blurb’ to draw you in. If you don’t like it, you’ll move on quickly, and it\'s the same for agents reading your cover letter. Also, the main point of your cover letter is to sell the book you are submitting, to make them believe that it will sell and belongs on the bookshelf - that’s why having recent comps is so important. JW: Do you have any advice for the querying writer reading this piece? At the Festival of Writing I attended a talk with James Law who suggested submitting to twelve agents at a time in three-week intervals. Given that some advice says only approach a handful I first thought this seemed excessive, but it works really well. As rejections come in (they will!) you always have more in the bag to wait for and, as it can a mentally draining process, you need all the positivity you can get. Start a spreadsheet so you can track any requests for full MS or straight rejections. I also had a column for their communication, tone of rejection and comments. This meant that if I was going to submit another book, I already had a shortened list of agents that were positive about my work and / or wanted to see anything else I did. Always be courteous, do your research and remember your comps. These are so important in selling your work, which is exactly what you should be doing when approaching agents / publishers. My biggest piece of advice is to start writing the next book as soon as you have submitted to agents. Not only is this the best way to take your mind off the book you’ve just sent, but you will have another book ready to go. The process can take a long time and you don’t want to waste that time checking emails for replies. Resilience is the most important part of being a writer, and keeping going no matter what. Only then will you succeed. About Sally-Anne Sally-Anne is a writer of dark thrillers in creepy settings. She loves to write female led stories and to create very bad women! Her debut novel ‘The Clinic’ is out now and inspired by her time working in one of the last Victorian asylums in England. Find out more on her website, or follow her on: Facebook: @sallyannemartynbooks Twitter: @sallyannemartyn Instagram: @sallyannemartyn

Writing dystopian stories can be one of the most valuable things you can do. Dystopian fiction is famous for its big, bold themes and the ground-breaking ways in which they’re conveyed. So, if you’re looking for a fiction project, and you want a meaty challenge, look no further than writing the next great dystopian story.   In this article, we’ll cover how to write a dystopian story, as well as:   What is a dystopian story?  Key elements of a good dystopian story  Dystopian story examples  Our tips and tricks for how to write dystopian fiction  Frequently asked questions  Read on to learn how to write a dystopian story.   What Is A Dystopian Story?  Dystopian stories are a subgenre of speculative fiction focused on the destruction of society. This can be due to totalitarian rule, international or civil war, apocalyptic events (and their post-apocalyptic effects), or injustice and suffering.   Often associated with Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s 1984, dystopian fiction as a literary genre began with Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin and his book My — published in the US as We in 1924. Works like Zamyatin’s follow in the footsteps of fellow Russian Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s explorations of evil and freedom, setting the scene for what we know as dystopian stories today.   Dystopian novels cover topics like climate disaster, tyranny, nuclear war, anarchy, pandemic disease, extra-terrestrials, artificial intelligence (AI), and even zombies. If a story is set in a dystopian future, it may also take on elements of science fiction e.g. technology and its implications.   So, what makes a good dystopian story?   Key Elements Of A Dystopian Story  This is where we get into the paradox of dystopian stories: that despite their weighty subjects, they can make for grippingly good reads. Let’s dive in.   Worst-Case Scenarios  The key to great dystopian stories is that they don\'t tread lightly. Instead, they take our fears and anxieties and turn them up to eleven. Worried about climate change? Here’s a thinly-veiled conceit that ends in disaster thanks to humanity’s morally apathetic, egocentric leaders (the film Don’t Look Up). What about technological progress and the future of AI? Have some time-travelling cyborg assassins (The Terminator series). These are film-based examples, as we’ll cover books below, but the point is that a powerful dystopian story doesn’t shy away from its premise — it pulls the problem apart like an onion to get readers thinking about complexities from differing angles and points of view.   And if we know anything about differing points of view, it’s what they can lead to.   Dramatic Conflict   But first, let’s take a step back. As I’ve covered in this guide to central conflict, a story’s conflict is the result of a protagonist’s want vs. obstacle. Due to the nature of dystopian fiction, you can bet any obstacle is going to be huge, with life or death stakes. This makes such conflicts strong, which is a major part of successful storytelling. Now, if we think back to our definition of dystopian stories, in stories with themes about power structures, which create external conflict, anti-establishment characters will layer their own internal conflicts on top of that. This is where characterising different points of view can ground philosophical stances in reality, with clear choices for characters that readers can identify with.   Inventive World-building  It’s not all about concept, conflict and characters, though. Dystopian stories go big to convey big messages, so when you’ve got an apocalyptic scenario, it needs to be reflected in your dystopian world. As a result, world-building is where premise and conflict come together for effect; it’s also useful for characterisation. Got a dystopian story based on a totalitarian government? How is that reflected in the way civil servants look, dress and live? What do they eat? Where do they sleep? How is this different to the general public — are they poor, or homeless by contrast?   Well-crated dystopian settings help stories feel authentic in fictional worlds.   As a writer, you can use this world-building to also build on a story’s themes.   Thematic Resonance  The way dystopian themes resonate can take on significance during periods of relevant upheaval. In 2017, George Orwell’s 1984 became a sudden bestseller after Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration; a big deal for a book published in 1949. The broadest dystopian themes revolve around destruction, the abuse of power, and survival, and, depending on what’s top of mind in the cultural consciousness, such stories can galvanise people’s real-world opinions, which can impact future decisions and behaviour (as we saw in the US 2020 election).   Humanity As Good Or Evil (Or Both)  One of the fascinating things about dystopian fiction is who the author chooses to be on the side of good, or evil (or neither, in true ‘grey’ character style). Is the protagonist a hero, an anti-hero or a closet villain? What about the supporting cast? Who is making the right choices, or the wrong choices, and why? Human beings are complex, fuelled by emotion but capable of rational thought, and dystopian stories are an excellent vehicle for making the pitfalls of that duality scarily clear.   Yet dystopian novels can be uplifting, too. Of those that don’t end in tragedy as a cautionary tale against their themes, many strive to show the power of the human spirit and its enduring potential. Characters in these tales often labour through long, painful journeys to reach their goals, but that struggle is what makes their eventual success so fulfilling. We can’t help but find triumphing over adversity inspirational, and these dystopian books tend to stay with us long after we’ve finished reading.  Dystopian Story Examples  So, now that we know what makes a good dystopian story, let’s take a look at some dystopian books that do it well.   The Hunger Games Series By Suzanne Collins  The biggest entry to reignite interest in dystopian stories, The Hunger Games trilogy (and subsequent films) kick-started a movement in young adult (YA) fiction that paved the way for dystopian novels like Divergent and The Maze Runner.   Teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen lives in Panem’s impoverished District 12, where she hunts to provide for her family. When her little sister is selected for the annual reality TV battle royale known as The Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to take her place alongside other teens who will fight to the death in the Capitol — including a fellow District 12 boy who once saved her life. Being YA, there’s also a love triangle, and happily, the seeds of rebellion.   Remember what I said about worst-case scenarios, dramatic conflict and inventive world-building? This book’s got all three in spades, with a focus on youth leading the way in a hopeless situation.   1984 By George Orwell  Speaking of reality TV, the only ‘Big Brother’ we’re here to talk about is the original, chilling government version. Orwell’s dystopian story, written after the end of World War II, is a modern classic and a warning against totalitarianism.   Winston Smith lives under the watchful eye of the Party and its leader Big Brother, rewriting history in the Ministry of Truth. In defiance, Winston starts a diary, a capital offence given what he does for a living — the risk compounded by telescreens that watch and listen 24 hours a day. He also starts dating a female colleague, which is forbidden as only loyalty to the Party must exist.   What makes 1984 such potent dystopian fiction isn’t that the Party oppresses all the way down to love and sex, or that Winston is eventually found out, or that he’s tortured and reconditioned... it’s the ominous ending.   The Handmaid’s Tale By Margaret Atwood  After that last example, you may be wondering how much darker things can get. Answer? A lot. Welcome to Gilead.   June, who\'s now known as Offred (a patronym for the man she’s assigned to), lives in the Republic of Gilead, previously the US, which is now controlled by right-wing extremists as a totalitarian, theocratic state. Offred is a Handmaid to her Commander Fred, and assigned to bear his children in monthly sex rituals witnessed by Fred’s wife, as infertility is the norm thanks to chemical warfare. With no freedom, and the Eyes (the secret police) everywhere, Offred has no real options — or so she thinks.   According to Atwood: “When I wrote The Handmaid\'s Tale, nothing went into it that had not happened in real life somewhere at some time.” That’s a big statement, and a testament not only to her research, but also her commitment to authenticity. Next time you’re watching the TV show, keep that in mind.   Brave New World By Aldous Huxley  And the darkness keeps on coming, though it’s cloaked in Huxley’s wit and irony. Despite being a decade short of its 100th anniversary, Brave New World is a brave iconic take on dystopian writing, with lots still left to offer readers.   Bernard Marx lives 600 years \'after Ford\' in the dystopian future World State, where people, like cars, are mass-produced with individualism conditioned out. Yet Bernard\'s not the real hero of this story — John ‘the savage’ is, who Bernard meets on a trip to the wild Savage Reservation, and brings home. But when Bernard is eventually banished, how will babe in the woods John cope with civilisation?   This dystopian novel is high-concept, so there’s a lot to unpack (e.g. social norms like promiscuity and Valium-like ‘soma’), and John’s ending is achingly poignant. With a theme like truth over happiness, it’s not hard to see why.   Lord Of The Flies By William Golding  We started this section with characters aged 12-18 in The Hunger Games — now we turn to characters aged 6-12 in Golding’s story about the surprisingly few steps between civilisation and a dystopian society.   Ralph and a group of British schoolboys crash-land on a deserted island during a nuclear war; the group voting Ralph as their chief, with Piggy advising him. But hunter Jack wants to lead too, recruiting other boys with his barbarous violence; soon, most of the boys have joined Jack. Things turn ugly when Piggy’s glasses, used to make fire and smoke signals, are stolen and boys are killed. Ralph escapes and lives, saved by a British naval officer, but it’s too late for Piggy.   Despite the idyllic tropical island, this dystopian story’s main theme is that humanity is essentially evil (yes, even kids). Another post–World War II novel, it’s also an allegory for war and leadership.   Fight Club By Chuck Palahniuk  For our last example, say hello to Palahniuk’s short story turned novel (and two comic book sequels), which disappointingly, isn’t on popular dystopian fiction lists. The book presents modern life and consumerism as a dystopian regime that needs blowing up, and certainly tries to — succeeding in the 1999 film adaptation. Yes, it’s satire and a damning social critique, but it’s also anarchic at heart and that’s a fundamental source of its conflict, with the twisty alter ego conflict layered on top. I’d say more, but you know the first rule of Fight Club…   Now, onto what we’re here for (and what we can talk about) — how to write a dystopian story.   How To Write A Dystopian Story  Given the calibre of examples covered, writing a dystopian story might feel like an insurmountable task — but in practice, the steps aren’t dissimilar to ordinary fiction. So, how do you do it? For ease of use, I’ve broken it down into 5 key steps.  Here’s how to write a dystopian story:   Choose Your Problem  This is where you choose the issue (or theme, then brainstorm from there) that you want to explore. For many dystopian authors, and those in other speculative fiction subgenres with a dystopian society, the first nugget of an idea often arises from real life. Atwood’s idea for The Handmaid’s Tale came to her after a conversation during the 1980s about women outside the home, and what would force them back. Tomi Adeyemi’s award-winning YA fantasy series Children of Blood and Bone was inspired by racism and extreme police brutality. Both are powerful examples of taking a real-world issue and expanding it into a successful dystopian premise, which brings us to our next step.   Make It A Premise  You’ve chosen your problem, and now you want to flesh it out into a full concept. Excellent! This is where more brainstorming helps. So does an example.   Say you’re looking at the government and wondering how they get things so wrong (a little meta, but let’s go with it). Make a list of what they’re mismanaging right now, and pick what you see as the biggest issue. Electricity and gas? Inflation and the cost of living? Or something else? Now, what’s the absolute worst thing that could happen from this problem? Got it? Great. Then multiply it by ten. If it’s electricity and gas, maybe your premise is that they no longer exist; or maybe they only exist for certain people. Tease out the how and why. What happened for some people to lose these utilities, or keep them? What does this difference look like — do the have-nots use fire to cook and heat instead, and what does this mean for the environment? These knock-on effects will make your premise all the more real.   Choose Your Protagonist  For some writers, you’ll arrive at your premise with a character in hand. For the rest of us, you need to think about what you want from your dystopian story, and what kind of protagonist works best. Do you want your main character to win, or is your aim an exercise in caution (see 1984)? The answer will determine what traits and skills should be inherent to your character, or learned throughout the story. And while we’re here, don’t forget your supporting characters. With the weight of the dystopian world on your protagonist’s shoulders, they’ll need help and support, not to mention people that challenge them, along the way.   Check Your Conflict  Now that you’ve selected your problem, expanded it into a compelling premise, and have a protagonist in mind, it’s a good time to confirm that your conflict is strong enough to carry your story. Dystopian novels tend to fall into the category of external conflicts: character vs. society, technology, nature, the supernatural etc. With a strong central conflict, your main character is forced to reveal themselves through action and the decisions they continue to make as the plot advances. Remember: your character’s want + its obstacle = conflict.    Build Your World  If you’re like me, you’ll have been making notes as you go, but for those new to world-building, it’s completely fine to start once you’ve gotten your head around the steps above. Bringing your story to life involves building on earlier questions to craft your dystopian world and its people i.e. nature and geography, and people and governance (as well as various cultures). This not only means the physical landscape, climate and seasons, resources, and plants and animals, but also a population’s races, genders, sexualities and classes, plus language and religion, norms, values and economic systems.   Tips For Writing Dystopian Fiction  Okay, you know how to write a dystopian story in theory — but you want a few more tips and tricks. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.   Here are five tips for writing dystopian fiction:  Pick an Issue You’re Passionate About: Circling back to our 5 steps for how to write a dystopian story, if you’re stuck on choosing your problem, what issues happening around the world get you angry? What matters to you? Scour news and current affairs for meaningful inspiration. Having own-voice experiences can be beneficial here, too.   Bring the Catastrophe: Alternatively, if translating your problem into a premise is the sticking point, you may be thinking too small. Now is not the time to round down — don’t just go big, go gargantuan! Think of the most extreme outcome and explore that.   Nail Your Main Character’s Backstory: If you’ve followed the first five steps but are stumbling over your protagonist, maybe a character profile will help. You can use everything you’ve noted about your dystopian setting to flesh out your protagonist’s background, role and goals, characteristics, and personal conflicts to layer accordingly.   Research, Research, Research: While much of your research will go into world-building, you’ll still need to fact-find for your premise. If your story is based on large-scale war, authentic specifics are crucial, whether that’s reading up on World War II or going down the science fiction path of something like H. G. Wells\' War of the Worlds.   Read the Dystopian Greats: Speaking of which, if you want inspiration, read dystopian stories like the examples listed in this guide, but also read other dystopian writing widely. This will help you learn the ropes (and tropes), as well as any pitfalls you’d like to avoid in your work.   Frequently Asked Questions  How Do You Start A Dystopian Fiction Story?  You start a dystopian fiction story like you would any other: with a hook and inciting incident. For dystopian stories, that hook is your unique premise and what it means for your dystopian world. You also need to introduce your protagonist and how they fit (or don’t fit) into the world, which the inciting incident makes clear. The best dystopian fiction stories do this in the first few chapters, then further the plot while deep-diving into character, the world and the central conflict.   What Are 3 Common Themes In A Dystopian Story?  The 3 most common themes in a dystopian story are destruction, the abuse of power, and survival. Destruction can be technological, nuclear or environmental, even apocalyptic, with mass poverty and violence as outcomes. Abuse of power, often governmental, can include censorship, extreme oppression, and loss of personal or cultural identity. Survival then becomes the goal, whether it’s physiological as in air, food, water and shelter, or psychological like mental health.   What Are The 5 Elements Of Dystopia?  The 5 key elements of great dystopian stories include: worst-case scenarios, dramatic conflict, inventive world-building, thematic resonance, and depicting human beings as good or evil. For a dystopian premise to be successful, it requires a significant potential for harm, a strong external conflict, a fully realised, authentic-feeling world, big themes with broad appeal, and an answer to the question of whether humanity is the problem or the solution.   What Is The Opposite Of Dystopian?  At the opposite end of the dystopian spectrum is utopian fiction, which depicts an ideal or utopian society. English philosopher Sir Thomas More’s Utopia (1516) coined the term with his perfect island society that cut itself off from the world. Utopian fiction is around 500 years older than the dystopian genre, and in it, authors invert problems to show what could be, rather than what is; ecological sustainability might be explored by depicting a human society in harmony with its natural environment, for example.   Writing Dystopian Fiction Stories  There’s a lot to love about dystopian fiction. Yes, it can be dark. It can be harrowing. But from darkness comes enlightenment, and thankfully, we can experience these dystopian stories from the safety of our homes. Dystopian novels guide us and teach us where to do better in the hope of a better future. Sometimes they’re bitter pills to swallow, but nothing truly worth it is easy. That’s where doing the work comes in.   If this line of thinking appeals, now that you know how to write a dystopian story, it may just be your time to begin.  

Time is such an enigmatic concept in a story. A lifetime could last only a paragraph, and a week an entire book! A timeline is every writer’s mind map. How we use a timeline helps us make sense of both time (in the story) and the story itself.  In this article, we\'ll define the term story timeline, and provide our best tips to help you create timelines that serve your story well.  What Is A Story Timeline?  A story timeline is essentially the arrangement of important events that occur in a story. Every story has a beginning, middle, and end, but they don’t necessarily need to be told in that order. We can choose the sequence of significant events that best grips the reader.  The arrangement of a timeline essentially occurs in three steps. Beats, stories, and plots. A beat is a single event, as yet unconnected to the other events in the book. A story is a collection of multiple beats presented in order. A plot is the context that conveys why the beats belong together in the story, sequentially, if not chronologically.   How To Structure Your Story Timeline  Structuring your story timeline essentially gives you a sequential framework. There are four types of story timeline – linear, fractured, framed and real-time.    Linear Story Timeline  When story events are presented in the order they occur in, they create a linear story timeline. The story can contain a few flashbacks to provide some backstory, but the primary narrative is chronological. The Harry Potter series by J K Rowling works with such a linear story timeline, with a few flashbacks that act as supporting information to the main story.   Fractured Story Timeline  When a non-linear timeline story is told with frequent back and forth between the past, present and/or future, it’s called a fractured timeline story. The beats of the story are not in the sequence they occur in. Think the movie Memento. The ending of the movie is presented in colour at the beginning of the film, and the beginning of the movie is presented in black and white towards the ending of the film, with the complete story merging in the middle to make sense. This fractured story timeline helps the audience experience the protagonist, Leonard’s, memory loss.  Framed Story Timeline  When a story has one major flashback, with the narrator walking others through it, it’s called a framed story timeline. It’s a story within a story. Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights is a classic example of such a narrative with the he-said-she-said nature of it adding to the gothic quality of the story arc.   Real-Time Story Timeline  A linear story with no breaks in terms of flashbacks or flashforwards can still be compelling. In fact, a real-time story is exciting because time in the story moves exactly as it does for the reader. Take Scottish author Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus series, for instance. The characters in his novel age with the publication dates. Inspector Rebus, who is said to have been born in 1947, retires at 60 years of age in the 2007 novel Exit Music.  How To Create Your Story Timeline  Creating a story timeline can help keep your story free of plot holes and give you a sense of direction whilst writing. Here’s how you can create your story timeline:  Age matters: Decide on the age of your characters and how old they’ll be when the story begins and ends. Knowing what portion of your character\'s life you want to include is key whether you\'re writing one novel, the first story in a series with separate timelines, or a multiple timeline narrative. Set it up: Zero in on a primary location for the beginning, middle and ending acts, unless, of course, it remains the same throughout. The setting of your story will induce the mood for both you and your readers.   Inciting event: Knowing at which point in the three-act structure you want the inciting event to take place will help determine the overarching narrative flow.  Character’s goals: What is the goal of your main character(s) and why? This not only dictates each character arc, but also the plot’s narrative arcs.    Resolution: What is the event that your main characters are headed towards? The primary goal/obstacle is the whole point of your book, so deciding when and how to bring the resolution about is imperative.  How To Write A Multiple Timeline Story  When a story has two or more periods of time coming together, it’s called a multiple timeline story. Kate Morton’s The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a good example of a narrative with more than one timeline.   If you’d like to attempt a story with two timelines or more, here’s how you can do it:  Decide on your primary timeline. It should ideally take precedence over the additional timelines you\'ve planned for. An 80/20, or at least a 70/30 split is a good idea. This will keep your reader focused on what’s important.   Be clear about the story for each timeline. Your reader shouldn’t greatly prefer one timeline over the other. This is even more important if you’re writing a 50/50 split multiple timeline story.  Map out the beats of the different timelines separately and sequentially. This way, you won’t mess up or mix up plots, and you can then connect the dots between, and/or converge, your beats.  When and how do you want the multiple timelines to converge? Knowing your transition point is crucial when crafting the story arcs for multiple timelines. Look for the beats and characters that have the maximum impact in your story; those are the ones that lend well to the transition point.  Top Tips For Creating A Story Timeline  Here are some top tips for creating your own story timeline: Knowing which type of story timeline is the right one for you is crucial. The type of plot/overall narrative arc you’re aiming for will help you decide this.  Make sure you have your three-act plot structure ready. This will help you flesh out your story.   If you have multiple point-of-view narration, create a timeline for each character and ensure they fit in neatly for your transition point.  Frequently Asked Questions  How Do You Write A Timeline Story?  To write a timeline story you need a clear three-act structure which includes details about your protagonist\'s age, your setting(s), and your key plot points.   What Are Time Markers In A Story?  A timeline is constructed based on the time markers of the story. Some of the time markers are the character’s age, the setting (e.g. season, time of day), duration of the story, and the three-act structure which dictates the story\'s shape.  Creating Story Timelines The past, present, and future don’t always come in chronological order when you\'re weaving a tale. But they don’t have to get muddled up in our minds; they can be structured sequentially, if not chronologically. Many writers find that creating a story timeline helps keep their plots clear, their character arcs solid, and their narrative structures strong. No matter what writing stage you\'re in, having clarity on your story timeline will help you stay on top of the game.  

We all dream of that day we read a review that says, “I couldn’t put this book down”. We want our readers to be eager to turn the pages; but how do we achieve that?   By using tension. That’s how.  Tension is not an easy technique to learn as a new writer, but it is essential for a long and fulfilling writing career. In this article, I will explain what tension is, why it is important to a story, and how to create it on the pages of your next work in progress.   What Is Tension? Tension building is a phrase used in creative writing circles when discussing the conflict that is explored in the novel by the main characters.   It is essential to know that to create tension, you must first give your readers something to be afraid for; but be aware, being afraid of something is not the same as being afraid for something.   Being afraid of something is to fear something that may harm you; being afraid for something means to be worried that it might be harmed in some way. The it being something your character cares deeply for, or desires.  Think of this in the context of your novel. You want your reader to be worried that something could get in the way of what your character truly desires. You want readers to be fearful that something will get in the way of the protagonist\'s ultimate happiness.   Tension Vs Suspense Although many will see these two terms as being interchangeable, they often work hand in hand, but they are not the same.   Tension happens as your reader anticipates conflict (that thing that is stopping your character getting what they really want) impacting the thing your protagonist desires the most.   Suspense grows steadily throughout the course of a novel while the conflict remains unresolved.   You can’t have tension, or even suspense, without a central conflict.   Why Is Tension Important In A Story? We now know that conflict (that thing stopping your character getting what they want) leads to tension (that thing that makes us care about the character resolving the conflict) which in turn leads to suspense (as we keep that resolution of the conflict from them).   This results in your reader feeling a compulsive need to keep turning the pages.   Tension is also about tapping into the emotion of your character and creating a presumed emotional impact if they don’t get what they truly desire. You are creating an emotional connection between your protagonist and your reader, encouraging emotional investment.  So, why is tension important? Essentially, without it, you will have a dull book that your reader does not feel emotionally invested in or compelled to finish.  Which Genres Rely on Tension? I don’t believe there is a single genre that does not use and embrace tension.   Thrillers, mystery, suspense and even horror are easy to identify as those that rely on strong tension on the page, but the truth is, you can (and should) create and build tension in any genre.   Take romance for example, and Romeo and Juliet. The tension in that story is created by telling the reader that it matters little how much the pair love each other, as their love is forbidden. Shakespeare created a central conflict so strong that it in turn created tension on the page for the reader.   How To Create Tension In Writing There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to building tension on the page – but there are 8 simple steps you can follow to make sure you have your reader begging for just one more page before bed.  Character Led Conflict To create tension in your novel, first your readers need to care about the protagonist. It\'s essential that you have well developed characters that your readers find themselves rooting for. You need to find the one thing your character wants the most in life.  Then, find a way to keep it from them.   The key here is to make sure this is specific to this character. To their life. It must be something that will emotionally affect them if they don’t achieve it; but here is the kicker, your reader needs to care too.   Your reader needs to want your character to achieve their goal as much as they do. So, dig deep and find out what they really want, and just what they are prepared to do to get it.     Conflicting Characters With Opposing Goals The best way to keep something from your character, is to create someone (or something) to keep them from their goal. Your reader wants to see your character\'s personality develop as they fight to achieve their goal, so put someone in their path with opposing goals or give them something to fight against. This rising conflict will increase tension and keep the reader engaged. If you want your reader to be a page turning cheerleader, give they something to cheer for.  Raise The Stakes – Then Raise Them Again! What does your character stand to lose if they don’t achieve their goal? How will it change them, affect them, harm them? How close can you get them to their goal before taking it away again?   You want your reader to want to jump into the book and fight for your protagonist.   For narrative suspense and tension, you want your character to try and fail multiple times. Many authors use the rule of three, although it’s not a ‘rule’. In essence, have your character fail twice, each time raising the stakes, before they eventually succeed.     Pacing Is Key Pace is key, pace is King!   Creating tension and suspense does not mean that every single chapter needs to be fast moving.   Fast paced chapters, urgent, sharp and to the point, will create forward momentum and a sense of urgency; but slower paced chapters can be gentle, giving your character a chance to reflect on what they want and why.   Slower paced chapters can also be packed with the emotion you need to get your reader to care. Play with pace; it can make or break a successful novel.  Create Curiosity In Your Reader One of the best ways to create and sustain tension as your story progresses is to keep your reader asking questions and engaged at all times. It’s essential to keep your reader curious, so have them asking enough questions in those quiet moments to keep them turning the pages.   Internal And External Conflict Internal conflict is just as important to tension as external conflict. Although we mention creating something or someone to keep your main character from their goal a lot, often the most difficult conflict to overcome is the one in your own head.   How is your character stopping themselves from getting what they want? Fighting external sources is a great way to create fast paced chapters, but those quiet moments are when the internal struggle of your character will show itself. What do they need to change within themselves to achieve happiness?    Master The Sub Plot Sub plots are your friends! Embrace them.   You don’t want your characters to live in a one-dimensional world. External factors and other people’s lives will affect your characters journey. How can you use the sub plot(s) to raise the stakes? Tension coming from multiple sources will create a sense that the world is closing in, adding to a sense of urgency and emotion on the page. You can even add a plot twist or two to keep the reader interested. The Ticking Time Bomb  From some of the earliest books we read as readers, to some of the most successful novels ever published, we see authors using the ‘ticking time bombs’ to add tension.   Take Cinderella for example; there was literally a clock ticking down to her reveal. Another more contemporary example might be that of Dan Brown in his Robert Langdon books; working against the clock to solve the mystery before anyone else is hurt.   Introducing a time limit/deadline injects your story with stress - having your characters work against the clock (either towards an actual or an imposed deadline) will force your protagonist to make snap decisions, heightening anxiety and conflict.  Top Tips For Creating Tension Now, we know what tension is, we know the difference between tension and suspense, and we know that conflict is key; but how exactly do you implement that in written form?  Use All Your Senses Your characters should be fully formed, well rounded people, so don’t forget that they have more than one sense. Don’t just see; touch, taste, hear, and smell your surroundings. Immerse your character and you will immerse the reader. Have them feel ‘that icy breath’ on their neck, or the ‘quickening of my heart, a stampede through the African plains of my chest’. Don’t just tell them how to feel, make them feel it.  Use Short Sentences Play with sentence length, structure, and cadence. Placing short sentences together will force a quickened pace of reading. Use the cadence of your sentences to emphasise sudden events, or wistful moments. If you want the reader to feel a quick heartbeat, try mimicking the rhythm of a heartbeat with the words on the page.   Consider Your Language Think about the words you use and when. Use panic heavy conjunctions to emphasise pace and speed. Panic conjunctions such as ‘suddenly’ are often overused, but you could try ‘abruptly’, or ‘unexpectedly’ or even ‘without warning’.   If you want the reader to see, feel and hear your character, make sure the language matches the action.  Use Your Surroundings The weather can be, and is often, used to help create tension, suspense, and emotion on the page. Pathetic fallacy is where we attribute emotions or feelings to weather patterns.   For example, ‘the flowers danced in the breeze’ - now we know that flowers don’t dance, but this description allows the reader to know that this scene is a serene one.   Whereas, with ‘the wind whispered its secrets through the trees’ - we know that wind doesn’t whisper, but this sense of foreboding creates tension on the page.   Frequently Asked Questions How Do Writers Create Tension And Suspense?  There is no hard and fast rule– but there are 8 simple steps you can follow to make sure you are creating tension and suspense.  Create character led conflict   Characters with opposing goals   Raise the stakes   Perfect your pacing  Create curiosity   Balance internal and external conflict  Master the sub plot   Consider a ticking timebomb  How Do You Create Tension On The Page And In Dialogue? Here are some of mytop tips for increasing tension on the page and in dialogue: Be clever with your use of short sentences, sentence structure and cadence  Use all your senses  Consider your language carefully - try using panic conjunctions and pathetic fallacy  Use interruptions during dialogue  Narrate tense moments in between dialogue  What Are The Four Types Of Tension?  Tension in fiction can generally be grouped into one of these four categories:  Tension of the task  Tension of relationships  Tension of surprise  Tension of mystery  What Is The Difference Between Tension And Suspense?   Tension happens as your reader anticipates conflict - that thing that is stopping your character getting what they really want - impacting the thing your protagonist desires the most.   Suspense grows steadily throughout course of a novel while the conflict remains unresolved.   Creating Tension Mastering the skill of tension requires practise, but once mastered, you will have a loyal following of readers always eager to come back and read more. It’s all about balance, nuance and detail. Give your reader just enough time to breathe before you set them off running again, and always give them something to run towards.  

Despite having been branded as an ‘emerging’ market for the last ten years, new adult fiction remains shrouded in heated debate. Whilst it has acquired cult status among readers and authors alike, there are a great many publishers who are reluctant to acknowledge it as an established category. The question is -why?  To answer this question for you, I will define new adult fiction, include some examples, and suggest tips for writing it. Most importantly, I will explain how you might want to tackle these controversies in your submissions.  What Is New Adult Fiction?    New adult fiction books (NA) are narratives that explore the transition from late adolescence to early adulthood. They\'re considered the next step after young adult fiction and they\'re typically aimed towards readers aged 18-25. It\'s less a genre and more a subcategory of either YA or adult fiction. The protagonists in NA titles, much like their demographic, are new to “adulting” and don’t yet feel like functional adults. The topics frequently explored in these stories are:   Moving away from home for the first time  Starting higher education  Deeper exploration of sexual experiences, identity and gender  Establishing careers  Figuring out relationships – familial, platonic and romantic NA helps maturing readers, who are new to adulthood, find their footing… at least this is what many believe it\'s for. Naturally, there\'s some speculation.  The Controversy Of New Adult Fiction When NA first came onto the scene in around 2009 – thanks to a competition run by St Martin Press - the response was essentially YA fiction but notched up a gear. This included the sexual content. It wasn’t long until the new adult genre was characterised as thinly veiled erotica that took place at university. This in itself is no bad thing; people can read and write what they want. The hitch is that the refrain that NA titles are just YA romance novels with more sex still plagues the category today and this has made it hard to market and sensibly shelve in bookshops. Deirdre Power, an assistant editor at Usborne, said ‘while there’s a really valid reason for children’s books to be divided into age categories, you can’t generally say the same for adult fiction.’ Once eighteen, readers are simply trusted to make their own decisions. In fact, the popularity of Sally Rooney’s Normal People, featuring university aged characters, demonstrates that adult readers are not typically dissuaded from reading titles with younger protagonists. They may be dissuaded, however, if a book\'s marketed for a specific age range. This means positioning a book away from a mass of readers who would have otherwise bought it. This is why NA can be vague as a marketing ploy. After all, does anyone ever really feel like an adult?   However, new adult books have not gone away, and the sexual content they sometimes contain is becoming less of a concern. Laura Bennett at the Liverpool Literary Agency said ‘in my experience, I’ve found that publishers are trying to be more sex positive. I think Tik Tok has a huge part to play in this.’ As a result, she’s found that publishers are increasingly asking for titles with “crossover potential” … which is essentially jargon for new adult. Laura speculated that the perpetual grey area could be attributed to a wider issue with age ranges in the YA market. ‘YA has become such a huge bracket. Is it 12-18yr olds or is it 16-18yr olds? Children are always going to read older than they are. But equally, I wouldn’t want my 10yr old reading upper YA because it’s in the 12+ section’. If there was consistent delineation, it would help with marketing and shelving. ‘We have to nurture mature readers, while still protecting younger readers. There needs to be that balance. If you insert new adult into the opposite end of that scale, it gives us the opportunity to say “Yes, this is for older readers, but it is still fairly safe”’. This begs the question though… what actually sets YA and NA apart?  New Adult Vs Young Adult Fiction Young adult fiction titles are books written for readers aged 13 - 18. With teenaged protagonists, they explore the challenges of adolescence or coming of age. New Adult Fiction differs in 5 key areas:   Target audience – NA’s target audience is both older and broader. It\'s targeted at 18-25 year olds, though many believe it\'s 18-30.   Word count – Whereas YA is usually around 60,000 words, NA titles can be anything up to 120,000. NA authors can get into politics, themes and worldbuilding a lot more.  Content – NA titles can provide more detail with their ‘adult’ content. This includes more swearing, violence, sex and drugs.   Voice – NA protagonists have a different set of priorities and concerns than their younger counterparts. They\'re older but not on an equal footing with adults that possess well-established careers, families, and lifestyles.  Themes  - NA focuses on three areas of identity: romance, career and worldview. There are more mature themes with more complexity than in YA. YA often focuses on the external, whereas NA focuses on the internal.  Examples Of New Adult Titles A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas – After killing a faerie, 19-year-old Feyre is held hostage. This popular Beauty and the Beast adaptation is darker, sexier and grittier than YA.  Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – When identical twins Cath and Wren head to college, they must each find their place, dealing with independence and social anxiety. Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour – 22-year-old Darren ditches his job as a barista and becomes a salesman who\'ll do anything to get ahead. This explores the challenges of racism in the workforce, establishing a first career and balancing life.  The Incendiaries by R O Kwon – Will starts at Edwards College and turns his back on religion, then he and his friend get involved with a cult. This explores worldview, grief and self-identity.  Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan – 22-year-old Ava moves to Hong Kong and strikes a relationship with British banker Julian. Things get complicated, however, when she meets Edith. If We Were Villains by M L Rio - Seven young actors study Shakespeare at an elite college, until one of them is found dead. This is a dark ‘campus novel’ exploring morality and social identity. Tips For Writing New Adult Fiction Audience The biggest mistake NA authors make is oversimplifying things by writing too young for an adult audience and too graphically for YA. Be clear about who you\'re writing for and ensure your protagonist embodies this in both mindset and maturity – the rest will fall into place.   Themes The circumstances of your story should sync with your character. Your themes need to feel reflective of where they are in life.  Genre Given publishers’ hesitancy acknowledging the term ‘new adult’ you may want to consider using other buzz words in your query letter. I\'d recommend using the phrase ‘XX with crossover appeal’. If the setting\'s firmly academic, then you may want to label your title as a ‘campus novel’.  Frequently Asked Questions What Is The Difference Between New Adult And Adult Fiction? The new adult category is considered a subsection of adult fiction. New adult readers are typically aged 18-25 and adult fiction is aimed at anyone over the age of 18.  What Is The Difference Between Young Adult And New Adult Fiction?  YA fiction titles are written for young adults/readers aged 13 - 18, with similarly aged protagonists, and they explore the challenges of coming of age. New adult titles are aimed at 18–25-year-olds, and have older protagonists facing the new demands of legal agency and responsibility.  Writing NA Fiction The increase in ‘crossover appeal’ on editors’ wish lists speaks for itself. New adult is far more than sexy romance. It\'s a robust category that offers authors the chance to tackle important topics that are pertinent to early adulthood. Not unlike the readers these books aim to represent, the NA market is in a period of transition. The question of when it can go from ‘emerging’ to ‘emerged’, feels almost synonymous with, ‘when do humans go from ‘adulting’ to fully-grown adult?’ The fact is, no one knows, but it seems somewhat inevitable.  Jericho Writers is a global membership group for writers, providing everything you need to get published. Keep up with our news, membership offers, and updates by signing up to our newsletter. For more writing articles, take a look at our blog page.

As a reader, perhaps you have enjoyed the use of epigraphs before, but never quite understood why an author has chosen to use them. Or maybe as a writer, you have considered using epigraphs, but have resisted because you are not sure about how best to implement them.  In this article, we will include an epigraph definition, look at some epigraph examples, and provide some tips on using epigraphs effectively. Hopefully by the end of this guide, you\'ll be able to use epigraphs to improve your writing and make it stand out from the rest.  So, to begin, let’s discuss what the word epigraph actually means. What Is An Epigraph?   In short, an epigraph is a short (typically fictional) quotation, saying, or poem that is used as an extract in an author’s book in order to gently guide the reader into the story\'s world. Some authors will use a one-off epigraph at the start of the book, just after the title page, and others will include an epigraph at the very beginning of each chapter heading. In other examples, authors used epigraphs at the end of their books as part of, or solely as, an epilogue. Epigraphs are contained in quotation marks and it\'s vital that they are attributed to the correct person. In some instances, an epigraph will be a simple one-line quote or saying and in other examples it could be several lines of poetry or prose from a literary work. It is totally down to the writers’ discretion how many lines, or how many epigraphs they decide to use.  So now that we understand what an epigraph is, it’s important to establish its purpose in writing and why you might consider using one (or many of them) in your book.  What Is The Purpose Of An Epigraph?   The purpose of an epigraph is to help set the tone, themes, and subjects that will later materialise in the story. An epigraph can help the reader gain a sense of what is to come and help an author to establish context very early on in the book. Epigraphs are often thought-provoking and they create intrigue and interest at the beginning of a text/chapter. They\'re also used to foreshadow mood /an exciting event, or make a satirical statement. To fully appreciate the purpose and effectiveness of literary epigraphs, it is useful to consider some published examples. Below are some examples of texts that have used epigraphs successfully.  Examples Of Epigraphs   To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee  Lawyers, I suppose, were children once. This is possibly one of the most famous examples of an epigraph being used to create intrigue and establish the context for the complex and emotional story that would later unfold. It is wonderfully simple yet extremely clever.  Life After Life By Kate Atkinson  What if we had the chance to it again and again, until we finally did get it right? Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Edward Beresford – Todd  Atkinson uses three epigraphs at the beginning of this novel, but what makes this quote unusual is that it is actually made by one of the main characters of the book.   It is also a wonderfully apt quote, perfect to set up the main theme of the novel, which is reliving a life - and by using a quote from a character, we can appreciate his importance in the story. Watership Down By Richard Adams  CHORUS: Why do you cry out thus, unless at some vision of horror?  CASSANDRA: The house reeks of death and dripping blood  CHORUS: How so? ‘Tis but the odor of the altar sacrifice CASSANDRA: The stench is like a breath from the tomb. Aeschylus, Agamemnan  Watership Down is an excellent example of epigraphs being used at the beginning of each chapter - and this quote from chapter one really sets the theme for the reader. By using continuous quotes and extracts throughout the novel, Adams is able to hint at the terror and threat that is awaiting his characters and can continue to create a sense of intrigue and danger throughout the book.   The Circle By Dave Eggers  There wasn’t any limit, no boundary at all, to future. And it would be so a man wouldn’t have room to store his happiness. East of Eden by John Steinbeck By using this quote at the beginning of his novel, Eggers is able to set the theme of his futuristic and utopian setting. This quote helps to pose a question with the reader, hinting that perhaps the safe and happy world that is being presented, isn’t all it seems.  The Double Life of Daisy Hemmings By Joanna Nadin  Is insincerity such a terrible thing? I think not. It is merely a method by which we can multiply our personalities. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Again, this quote is thought-provoking and helps to set up the main theme of book, which is people changing. It is extremely apt and sets the context for the story that unfolds perfectly.  How To Use An Epigraph In Your Book   In this section, we are going to explore how best to use and decide on your own epigraph for your book.   Consider using texts, extracts and quotes that have themes that best overlap with yours.   Ensure that you have permission to use the text/quotes or extracts. Remember, copyright restrictions may be in place (this is usually the author\'s lifetime, plus seventy years) but it is always best to check with the writer’s estate or agency to be sure.  Consider whether you want to foreshadow an event or mood and if so, try to use an epigraph that can help with this.  You might want to use an epigraph to develop or hint at a character development, in which case you need to find one that best fits those needs. Take time to read through examples and consider how epigraphs might best suit your work. Could a small quote at the beginning set up the scene? Or would continuous epigraphs at each chapter help shape the theme and build intrigue throughout the novel? Decide what best suits you.  It’s important to remember that most authors are drawn to quotes and texts instinctively and just ‘know’ that they belong in the novel. It makes sense that a piece of writing that has influenced you, or a poem that means a lot to you, will also connect to the story you have written. If your gut instinct feels that it\'s right, it often is! Just ensure you are allowed to use it!  Let’s now consider some frequently asked questions regarding the use of epigraphs.  Frequently Asked Questions  What Is An Example Of An Epigraph?  An epigraph is a short quotation, saying, or poem that is used in novels. These (often fictional) quotations can either be included at the start of the book or at the beginning of each chapter. An example is the epigraph, “lawyers, I suppose, were children once”, used in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Why Are Epigraphs Used?  An epigraph helps to set the theme, tone or the subject that will materialise later in the story. It can foreshadow what will come and build intrigue and suspense.  Where Should I Use An Epigraph?  This is a totally personal preference. Many authors prefer to have their epigraphs at the beginning of the novel. Others will use epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter, some at the end of a novel.   You need to choose the method that feels right for you and fits with your book.  How Long Should An Epigraph Be?  There are no wrong or right answers here. However, it is often suggested that epigraphs which consist of a short phrase or a few lines are best for creating intrigue and holding the reader’s interest.  What Copyright Considerations Do I Need To Consider When Using Epigraphs?  You need to check that you have legal permission to use any text, quotes, or extracts. Remember copyright restrictions are often in place (usually the author\'s lifetime, plus seventy years) unless the text is in the public domain. If you\'re unsure about the copyright, check with the writer\'s estate or agency.  Choosing An Epigraph Throughout this guide we have explored epigraphs in much detail and considered their use and how they can be most effective in writing. There is little doubt that for many writers, epigraphs are a great way of setting the theme and tone of a novel and helping a reader get a sense of what might be unveiled later in the book.  The key thing to remember, is that the use of epigraphs is a totally personal one. Take time to explore quotes and extracts that might work for your text. Ensure that you have the correct permissions. Consider whether your epigraph is having the effect you want it to have.  But most of all, have fun with it and follow your heart. Epigraphs are often selected because they connect to the author in some way and because of this, they will connect to the reader. The most effective epigraphs are the ones that aren’t forced but feel like they belong to the writing.  Good luck! 

When I think of falling action, I think of all of the scenes in Gladiator that come after Maximus Decimus finally has his revenge on the new emperor (warning Gladiator spoilers ahead!)  Maximus stabbing the emperor is the undoubtable climax- his long sought revenged is finally reached. Many important things happen after this; we still see his inevitable demise and a number of important scenes follow; yet these scenes are no longer part of the story\'s climax. The scenes that follow, despite being dramatic in their own right, are slower and more satisfying, they lead us to the conclusion of the story. The main climactic moment has already occurred, which means that all of those scenes that follow are part of the falling action.   A story\'s falling action is the action that occurs immediately after the big climax has taken place and the action shifts towards resolution instead of escalation. The action is now no longer rising, instead it is now falling and taking us (the viewer/reader) onwards to the end of the journey. In short, it is everything that comes after the important questions have been answered.   In this guide you will learn how to better identify falling action and how to write it. Once you read this article you will be able to define falling action, understand the role it plays in story structure, and know the difference between falling action and rising action. Let’s dive in!   What Is Falling Action?  Falling action in a story is, simply put, the action that comes immediately after the important climax has taken place. Note that some films or books might seem to have multiple climaxes (like in the Lord of the Rings finale where they seem to come one after the other.) However, there is usually one important main climax, which the rising action has been leading towards. Keep in mind, though, that exciting things can still happen after the climax (like the volcano erupting in Lord of The Rings) and those scenes are still part of the falling action. All falling action leads to the story\'s resolution and the tying up of loose ends of the plot.   How Does Falling Action Fit In With Freytag’s Pyramid?   It’s hard to talk about falling action without talking about German author Gustav Freytag, who, through the illustration of his (Freytag’s) pyramid, argued that all stories can be reduced to one basic plot structure which consists of five stages: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and dénouement.   Let’s break these down.   1. Exposition The story starts with exposition, which breaks down the information the reader will need in order to understand the story best. Who is this story about? Who is the main character? Who is the antagonist? What is their world like? What are their key relationships? What are the stakes? What is the time period? What are all the relevant details? Once this is all established and the reader is invested, the inciting incident typically occurs in the story, which then moves things on to the rising action.  2. Rising Action When the rising action hits, the plot usually quickens and starts to (as the name suggests) rise towards the climax. The tension in rising action will typically grow from scene to scene as plot developments lead us through the story and upwards to the grand climax. No matter how complex or unique a story is, it\'s likely to have rising action.   3. Climax The climax is arguably the most important part of the story, though each part of Freytag’s pyramid is significant in its own way. A climax will tackle the story\'s central conflict, answer its main question, and will serve as the main turning point for the story. Typically, it’s when the hero reaches their destination, or when they finally confront the villain. As the pyramid/plot diagram suggests it is the peak of the story - the action will no longer rise, and the stakes will not get higher from here. Once the story reaches the climax, the action will head towards resolution in the form of falling action.   4. Falling Action As discussed throughout the article, falling action refers to all the scenes/plot points that come after the climax and lead to a resolution and the final “after” snapshot.  (Refer back to the first heading for a more detailed falling action definition.) Few stories skip falling action completely, but if you\'re writing a series of books, especially if they\'re in a genre which is rife with major conflict and plot twists, you may decide to leave some loose ends. In this case, it might be that your protagonist gets closer to solving the obstacles presented by the story\'s main conflict, which gives readers some satisfaction, but a few unanswered questions remain. This means your readers will have some closure, but will also be eager to read the next instalment of your series. 5. Dénouement Dénouement is often confused with falling action and to be honest it’s easy to confuse the two. Dénouement is the very last bit of the story which shows the final resolution. It’s not so much the unthreading of plot lines that the falling action is but rather dénouement is the final say on how everything has been resolved. In Lord Of The Rings, it would be showing Frodo happily back in the Shire. Dénouement can also involve a tragic resolution too where things don\'t work out as well as your protagonist had hoped. Dénouement hints at what’s to come, and show us how everything has changed for the main character and secondary characters and it leads us to the story\'s end. The Difference Between Falling Action And Rising Action  The key difference between rising and falling action is that rising action follows an upward trajectory where it escalates in intensity in order to reach the climax. Falling action should, like its namesake, follow a downward trajectory and aim to give the viewer/reader relief from the climax.   Let\'s explore the importance of falling action. Why Is Falling Action Important?   Falling action is important because if you ended a story on a climax there would be no emotional relief for the reader/viewer. The story, whether sad or happy, would have no satisfying end or closure. You’ve spent all this time getting your reader excited and invested; you cannot then just leave them at the peak.   The main reasons to include falling action in literature are as follows:   Ties up loose ends, especially in relation to the main conflict Falling action serves the reader\'s curiosity, giving them satisfaction and closure  It provides extra time for a closing statement of themes and the core message   Wraps up side-storylines, or the stories of multiple characters   It gives the story time to wind down so you can head towards your closing image with purpose and intent  Examples Of Falling Action   Falling action can take many forms (in terms of style, format, genre etc). Here are five falling action examples from literature and film:   The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins In The Hunger Games, the falling action is everything that comes after Katniss wins the games. The main plot has been addressed and the action moves towards the resolution. Dénouement would be the scene that shows her life long after the Hunger Games have ended.  Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone By J K Rowling In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the falling action happens once Harry faces Voldemort. The time after that spent in the infirmary, and the house cup and all that follows is falling action.  Titanic In the film Titanic, the climax would be the Titanic sinking and Jack and Rose being stranded. Once Jack passes and Rose decides to use her last morsel of energy to get the whistle, the falling action begins. Dénouement would be the very final scene when the old lady drops the necklace into the ocean.   A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens In A Christmas Carol, the falling action occurs after Scrooge wakes up and realises that he is still alive, and it is still Christmas, and that there\'s still time to change his trajectory. Everything that comes after this with him fixing all his wrongs is part of the falling action.   Matilda By Roald Dahl In Matilda, the climax occurs when Miss Trunchbull is vanquished. Matilda skipping grades and Miss Honey’s life returning to normal is the falling action. Miss Honey becoming Matilda’s new guardian once her family has left for Spain could be considered dénouement, as it shows us Matilda’s new normal, and what her life is likely to look for the foreseeable future.  How To Write Falling Action   The three steps to writing falling action are as follows:   Identify all of the loose ends you would like to wrap up, arrange them in order of importance and in a descending pattern, (i.e. the action should be calmer and not rising.)   Consider the pace of the overall story in order to decide how your falling action should fit and how much room it will occupy on the page. Tip: make a checklist of the storylines /plot points/ jokes you would like to see wrapped up and tidied, and then check things off once you have included them in the falling action.   Loosely plan out your story structure so that you know roughly what the falling actionwill entail.   Once you know which beats you want your falling action to hit and in which order, and once you are clear on which plot points should be concluded, then you can draft the falling action just as you would any other section of your book or screenplay.   Frequently Asked Questions   Let’s address some of the most asked questions when it comes to falling action.  What Is A Falling Action?   Falling action is everything that takes place immediately after the climax. The purpose of falling action is to bring the story from climax to a resolution. It is one of the key elements in any story which will usually include an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and denouement.   How Do You Identify A Falling Action?   In order to identify falling action try asking yourself the main plot point of the story, then identify when that plotline is resolved (i.e. when the hero finally confronts the villain), once you are able to identify the climax you can identify the falling action. Remember the falling action will usually revolve around resolution and de-escalation of the previous action, and will follow a downward spiral.    What Is The Difference Between Dénouement And Falling Action?   Dénouement is the final part of a story which usually shows you a glimpse into the main character\'s new normal. Like in the case of Matilda, dénouement often gives the viewer a snapshot of what’s in store for the MC in the future (Matilda will now happily live with Miss Honey).  Dénouement is usually much shorter than the falling action. It’s often a commentary on the future of the world in the book as well, similar to an epilogue, a dénouement will explain where the world you\'ve created, and your story\'s characters, will go from here.  Falling Action It’s very important for writers to focus on their falling action and to really flesh it out in the perfect way for their narrative. It isn’t something to be overlooked or skipped. When keeping in mind falling action, you can refer to Freytag’s pyramid and try to visualise the way you first expose your story and the important details. Then imagine the line going upwards with your rising action and try to pair that with emotions- first the reader is intrigued with your exposition and details of the story, then they should be excited and nervous with your rising action, the climax should hit hard and heavy and be the peak of the storyline, then the reader should feel a sort of detangling of threads with the falling action. Falling action should bring with it a sense of closure and relief.  

Do you love murder mysteries? Do you want to write your own but don\'t know where to start?  Well, you\'ve come to the right place!  In this article, you will learn how to write compelling murder mystery stories that move the plot forward and keep your readers guessing until the end. We\'ll discuss structure, key moments, character development, and setting.  Whether you\'re a beginner or a seasoned pro, read on for all the tips and tricks you need to create an edge-of-your-seat murder mystery!  What Is A Murder Mystery?  A murder mystery is a fast-paced story in which a killing is committed, and the characters must solve the mystery by uncovering clues and identifying the culprit. The murder mystery genre includes elements of suspense and detective work, making it a popular choice for readers who enjoy puzzles and trying to piece together all the clues.  While the plot of a murder mystery can be complex, the basic premise is reasonably simple: someone has been killed, and it is up to the main characters to find out who did it.  How Are Murder Mysteries Different from General Mystery Stories?  There are many types of mystery stories, from classic whodunits to modern thrillers. But what sets murder mysteries apart from other types of mystery stories?  For one thing, murder mysteries usually involve much higher stakes. After all, the victim in a murder mystery is already dead, so there\'s very little chance of a happy resolution.  In addition, they tend to be darker and more violent than other mystery genres. They often explore the dark side of human nature and the motivations behind why someone would kill another person.  Finally, good murder mysteries typically have a larger cast of characters than other types of mystery stories. This is because each character usually has something to hide, and the murderer is often someone who was least expected.  These elements combine to create a unique and addictive genre that will keep readers guessing and turning pages!  Next, let\'s look at the critical aspects of a murder mystery novel.  The Key Elements Of A Murder Mystery  1. Start With A Strong Hook To Capture Your Reader\'s Attention  In any good murder mystery, the crime that sets the story in motion needs to be compelling enough to hook the reader from the very first page. After all, once somebody has been murdered, it\'s up to the private detective (and the reader) to put together the pieces of who did it and why.  A strong hook will keep readers engaged as they try to solve the puzzle along with the detective. To be effective, a hook should be mysterious and intriguing, making the reader want to find out more. It should also introduce the key players in the story so that readers have a sense of who they\'re rooting for (or against!).  2. The Protagonist Should Be Someone The Reader Can Sympathise With And Root For  In any good murder mystery, the protagonist should be someone with whom the reader can empathise. After all, it\'s hard to get invested in a story if you don\'t care about the main character!  A sympathetic protagonist gives the reader someone to identify with as they try to solve the mystery. They also provide a human element to the story, making it more relatable and realistic. Of course, this doesn\'t mean that the protagonist has to be perfect. In fact, many of the best murder mysteries feature protagonists with flaws and secrets of their own!  3. Create Believable, Complex Characters For The Supporting Cast  The murder victim is only the beginning. Creating a web of complex and believable characters for the rest of the supporting cast is essential to keep readers engaged. Each character should have unique motivations, secrets, and skills that come into play as the story unfolds.  Furthermore, the relationships between these characters should be rich and multi-layered, providing clues and red herrings for the reader to follow.  4. Include A Plot Twist That The Reader Won\'t See Coming  A murder mystery is only as good as its plot twist. The best plot twists are entirely unexpected but still make perfect sense retrospectively.  An excellent way to achieve this is to plant false clues throughout the story that point the reader in the wrong direction. This will make the true killer\'s identity all the more surprising when it is finally revealed.  5. There Should Be Plenty Of Red Herrings To Keep The Reader Guessing Until The Very End  A murder mystery is not a true mystery if the reader can figure out who did it long before the end of the book.  A key element in writing a successful murder mystery is to include a red herring - a false clue that points the reader in the wrong direction. These can take many forms, from physical evidence that appears to incriminate a character but is later revealed to be planted, to eyewitnesses who give conflicting testimony.  6. The Ending Should Be Satisfying  A vital element of murder mystery books is that the ending should be satisfying, with all loose ends tied up neatly. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule, but generally, a well-written mystery should provide closure for its readers.  You can achieve this by providing a credible explanation for all of the clues that have been left throughout the story. This not only allows readers to see how everything fits together but also leaves them feeling satisfied that they were able to solve the mystery themselves.  Another way to create a satisfying ending is by ensuring that all of the characters get what they deserve. This means that justice is served and that everyone who played a role in the story gets their comeuppance.  Different Forms Of Murder Mysteries  Murder mystery stories are a popular genre that can be written as novels, short stories, screenplays, stage plays, or even television shows. While each type of story has distinct benefits, they all share one common goal: to keep the audience guessing about whodunnit! Let\'s take a closer look at the different murder mystery forms.  Murder Mystery Novels  The novel form of a murder mystery allows for more significant character development and a more complex plot than a short story or a screenplay, allowing the reader to delve into all the nuances of each character and their motives.  Murder Mystery Short Stories  A short story is a more concise, focused way of telling a story, with fewer characters and fewer distractions from the central mystery, while centred on the inner workings of a specific character\'s mind.  Murder Mystery Screenplays  A screenplay can be an excellent format for a murder mystery, allowing the author to control the pacing and tension of the story. Typically, a script for a film is best suited to fast-paced action and suspense, with an emphasis on characters and visuals. So, a murder mystery script exemplifies the strengths of the subgenre and the screenplay format simultaneously. Murder Mystery Stage Plays  A stage play is primarily dialogue-driven, which is an excellent format for a story based on a central character interviewing others to determine the culprit.  Murder Mystery TV Shows  Serialised television has always been popular for telling murder mysteries, with shows such as CSI and Law & Order, as it allows for complex plotlines and character development in a short time frame.   Murder Mystery Examples  Knives Out By Rian Johnson (Movie)  This offbeat film, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, follows the investigation into the death of a renowned crime novelist and every shocking twist and intriguing turn keeps you guessing until the end.  And Then There Were None By Agatha Christie (Novel, Movie, Stage Play)  One of the most famous murder mystery novels ever written, this story follows a group of strangers who are invited to an isolated island off the coast of England. Once there, after they are accused of various crimes and murders, they are picked off one by one by an unknown killer. As the body count mounts, the survivors realise that there is no way off the island and that they must find the killer before it\'s too late.  Columbo (TV Show)  If you\'re a fan of detective shows, you\'ve probably seen at least one episode of Columbo. The iconic series starred Peter Falk as a wily police detective who was always one step ahead of the killer. Unlike standard whodunnits, each episode began with the audience knowing who the murderer was, but seeing Columbo piece the clues together was always a delight.  Gone Girl By Gillian Flynn (Novel, Movie)  One of the most popular murder mystery novels in recent years, Gone Girl tells the story of Nick and Amy Dunne, a married couple whose relationship is on the rocks. When Amy goes missing, Nick becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance. As the police investigation unfolds, dark secrets about their marriage are revealed, and it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems.  Hound Of The Baskervilles By Arthur Conan Doyle (Novel, Movie)  This classic story revolves around the investigation of a series of murders committed on the desolate moors of Devonshire. Sherlock Holmes is hired to solve the case, and he quickly realises that the culprit is a large, ferocious hound that has been terrorising the local villagers at the bidding of its secretive master. In the end, Holmes is able to put an end to the murders and uncover the culprit.  Mystery At Rogues\' Roost By Ellery Queen (Short Story)  Rogues\' Roost is a remote and isolated inn, the perfect setting for a murder mystery. When Ellery Queen arrives, he finds that the innkeeper has been killed and the other guests are all suspects. As Ellery begins to investigate, he quickly realises that each of the guests has something to hide. The question is, who is the murderer? Ellery soon discovers that the answer lies in a hidden room at Rogues\' Roost, a room that holds the key to a decades-old mystery.  How To Write A Murder Mystery  Step 1: Determine Your Setting & Main Character  The first step is to determine when, where, and who. Will your story take place in a small town or a big city? On a beach or in the mountains? Is it a period piece or contemporary?  Once you\'ve decided on the location, it\'s time to introduce your main character. Is she a famous detective or an amateur sleuth? A hard-boiled private investigator or an inquisitive novice? By understanding your protagonist\'s motivations and backstory, you\'ll be better equipped to write a compelling mystery.  Step 2: Who Is The Victim? What Is The Murder Or Crime Committed?  Is your victim innocent or guilty of misdeeds? Are they a good person or are they thoroughly nasty? How you paint the victim will reflect in how they\'re viewed by others, including your readers.  Once you\'ve chosen your victim, it\'s time to get into the nitty-gritty of the crime itself. Where did it take place? When? How was the body found? These are all essential details that will help to set the scene. You should also consider what kind of weapon was used and whether any evidence was left at the crime scene.  Step 3: Create A List Of Potential Suspects, Along With Their Motives, Opportunities, And Alibis  The best murder mystery stories always have a large cast of potential suspects. After all, part of the fun is trying to figure out who did it! So, once you\'ve decided on your victim and your crime, it\'s time to start brainstorming a list of possible killers. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you create your list of suspects:  Each suspect should have a motive for killing the victim. What would they stand to gain by the victim\'s death?  Each suspect should have an opportunity to commit the crime. Where were they when the crime took place? Do they have access to the murder weapon?  Each suspect should have some kind of connection to the victim. How do they know each other? What is their relationship like?  Each suspect should have a seemingly valid alibi for where they were when the crime was committed. Think of each character\'s backstory and what they might have been doing at the time.  Always make sure to think about what clues and red herrings you want to include in your story when you are thinking about your suspects!  Step 4: Create A Unique Twist On The Actual Murder  This is where you take the basic concept of the murder and make it your own. It\'s essential to come up with something that will surprise your readers and keep them guessing until the big reveal.  One way to do this is to change the motives for the murder. Maybe the victim was killed for insurance money, or maybe there was a love triangle gone wrong.  You can also change the way the murder is carried out. Instead of a bullet to the head, maybe the victim is poisoned or drowned.  Whatever you choose, make sure to include a feeling of improbability or impossibility to the crime. This increases the mystery and engagement!  Step 5: Create A Timeline Of Events  The last step to writing a murder mystery is to create a timeline of events. This may seem daunting, but it\'s not as difficult as it sounds. Here are a few tips:  Start by brainstorming a list of all the events that take place in your story, no matter how big or small. Little details matter! Once you have your list, arrange the events in chronological order. If you\'re unsure about the order, that\'s okay - you can always go back and adjust as needed.  Next, flesh out each event with more details. What happened? Who was involved? Where did it take place? When did it happen? Why did it happen? Answering these questions will help you create a more detailed and believable timeline.  Finally, don\'t forget to include clues and red herrings to help keep your story suspenseful and unpredictable!  Tips For Writing A Murder Mystery  Plan out your ending before you write your story.  Ensure that everyone in the story is a potential suspect (the main character included!).  Set your murder mystery story in an exciting or unique location that adds detail to your narrative.  Frequently Asked Questions  How Do You Outline A Murder Mystery?  When outlining a murder mystery, it is essential to start with the basics: who was killed, where did the murder take place, and who are the possible suspects? Once you have these crucial elements in place, you can begin to flesh out the story. For example, what was the victim\'s relationship with the suspects? What was the motive for the murder? What evidence is there that points to a specific suspect?  How Many Suspects Should You Have In A Mystery Novel?  In a mystery novel, the number of suspects is important. Too few suspects, and the reader may feel that the answer is obvious. Too many suspects, on the other hand, can make the ending feel contrived. The key is to find the right balance. Ultimately, the story\'s plot will determine the number of suspects. However, as a general rule, having at least three suspects is advisable. This will give the reader enough options to consider without making the mystery too convoluted.  Murder Mystery Writing If you\'re excited to try your hand at writing murder mystery stories, start with a great hook that will capture your reader\'s attention. Once you have them hooked, include plenty of plot twists and red herrings to keep them guessing until the very end. And don\'t forget to create relatable characters that your readers will love (or love to hate!).  With these tips in mind, you\'re ready to write murder mysteries that will keep your readers glued to the page. Ready, set, solve! 

The ‘rule of three’ is as familiar to you and I as fairy tales like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, or genies who grant three wishes, or sayings like ‘good things come in threes’. It’s a rule we use all the time in everyday life. But what makes three such a magic number? And when it comes to fiction, how can we use the rule of three in writing?   In this article, we’ll cover:   What is the rule of three in writing?  Examples of the rule of three, and what it looks like in practice  Our tips and tricks for the rule of three as a writing principle  Frequently asked questions  So, what is the rule of three, and how do you use it to engage readers in your own writing?   What Is The Rule Of Three?  The ‘rule of three’ in writing is based on groups of three items being more memorable, emotionally resonant, and persuasive than simply one or two.   In literature, the scope is broad: from having the word ‘three’ in a novel’s title, to three characters’ points of view (POVs), or even just using a three-act plot structure. We’ll delve into these later, so stay tuned. But for now, why is the number three so established when it comes to storytelling?   To answer this question, I dug out my psychology textbooks and went trawling through the scientific research, as the overall consensus online is that three is the smallest grouping for pattern recognition in the human brain. Frustratingly, there’s not a lot of research to back this statement up.   What I did find was an excellent resource, The Rule of Three (or Four), and Pairs by Professor Dominic Cheetham, who expressed the same frustration and used his paper to explore the rule of three in writing (citing Ursula LeGuin, no less).   Cheetham’s takeaways on the rule of three in literature:   Repetition is an established memory aid.  Repetition can be used to signify importance, as in emotional intensity (and therefore significance).  Repetition is core to persuasion, especially the number three.    Cheetham posited that three reasons are more convincing than one; this is supported by a two-part study from Shu & Carlson (2014), who found that three claims were the ticket to consumer persuasion.   Cheetham went on to summarise that ‘the rule of three is not just a rule of three or four things together, but a rule of sequential repetition … in a clear and meaningful order’.   i.e. there is semantic progression, which can become more complex, or even humorous, once a pair primes us for a third list item.   So, there’s a little background on why the rule of three is used in literature, and in life more generally. Next, we’ll take a look at some examples.   General Examples Of The Rule Of Three  Our love of triads has led to great case studies on the rule of three in action. Let’s start with real-world examples.   Marketing  ‘I’m Lovin It’ McDonald’s 2003 slogan has just three words but has lasted for 19 years (the fast-food brand’s previous record was four years).   Did anyone else not know this jingle is a Justin Timberlake song?   \'Just Do It’ Another example of the power of three-word advertising slogans, Nike’s motto was inspired by the last words of a death row prisoner, and that resonance carried.   Public Service  ‘Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.’ The UK government’s slogan from the COVID-19 lockdowns went for shock-factor with its implications.  ‘The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.’ The English common law oath is a judicial convention spanning the Western world.   Religion  The Fates: The Ancient Greek Moirai or Fates (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) were said to spin the threads of birth, life, death, and ultimately, destiny.   The Holy Trinity: In Christianity, this is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (one God in three persons), invoked during the ritual of baptism.  The Three Wise Men who travelled to see the baby Jesus are another example of three figures in the Christian faith.   Proverbs  ‘Omne trium perfectum’ ‘Everything that comes in threes is perfect’ is a long-standing Latin declaration for the rule of three.   ‘Mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru’ ‘See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’ is based on the Japanese pictorial maxim of the Three Wise Monkeys.   Phrases  ‘Ready, set, go’: This shorter, more effective version of ‘On your marks, get set, go’ shows the power of brevity (and three words).   ‘Blah, blah, blah’: For an even simpler example of a three-word phrase, this triple-single idiom has roots in a similar expression from the 1800s.   Examples Of The Rule Of Three In Writing  We’ve looked at general examples — now it’s time to examine some modern and classic examples of the rule of three in writing and the creative industries.   Fables And Fairy Tales  Circling back to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this British fairy tale has more threes than you can poke three sticks at: three chairs, three bowls of porridge, three beds, and the eponymous three bears (who then go through the same chairs / porridge / beds shtick as Goldilocks, only to discover a pint-sized intruder in their midst). As you can tell, repetition here is key.   With slightly less repetition, the fable The Three Little Pigsincludes not only the three pigs, but also three houses built from increasingly hardy ingredients which they use to finally outsmart the Big Bad Wolf.   For a Norwegian example, De tre Bukkene Bruse or Three Billy Goats Gruff is another well-known fairy tale that employs three goats, each bigger than the last, to trick a hungry bridge-blocking troll. Literature  The category we’ve all been waiting for! And for our first example, you can’t go past Dickens’ novella A Christmas Carol. Here, the original Grinch, Ebenezer Scrooge, is visited by ​​three spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. In terms of the rule of three in fiction writing, this story has the trifecta of repetition for memorability, big feelings, and of course, a dose of ghostly persuasion.   Les Trois Mousquetaires orThe Three Musketeers by French author Alexandre Dumas, which gets points for having the number three in its title, follows d\'Artagnan and his three swashbuckling heroes as they duel their way through Paris and London — for honour, naturally.   A less obvious example of the rule of three at work is by another Frenchman Jules Verne in his Around the World in Eighty Days. After travelling to India, Phineas Fogg’s group is a party of three; and when he returns to London, he’s hit with three final ordeals. The clincher? Fogg wins the book’s titular bet with three minutes to go.   Plays  In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, three witches (‘wayward sisters’) visit the Scottish General Macbeth with the prophecy that he will become king. As we know, this leads Macbeth down his dark, ambitious path, with tragic consequences. Unlike Dickens’ ghosts, the three witches spell trouble and temptation for Macbeth, their fateful words finally guiding his (stabbing) hand.   A scarily meta example is one by the master of murder mystery tales herself, Agatha Christie, aptly called Rule of Three. This triple bill of one-act plays includes Afternoon at the Seaside, The Rats and The Patient.  Not to make this about Shakespeare again, but if we’re talking plays, an oft-quoted line is his ‘Friends, romans, countrymen, lend me your ears’ from another well-known tragedy, Julius Caesar.   Film  Arguably the world’s most famous trilogy, the creator of the Star Wars films,George Lucas upped the ante by planning prequel and sequel trilogies for a total of nine films in the space opera. This opened up the three-act structure to a new, epic scale of storytelling — not to mention intellectual property.   The romantic comedy When Harry Met Sallyis a cult 80s film with a flair for the rule of three. The pair meet three times before becoming friends, and after the final New Year\'s Eve party, where — ***SPOILER ALERT*** — Harry declares his love for Sally and they kiss, they get married three months later.   Credit to Reddit for reminding me that each key character in Signs has an identifying trait or issue that rears its head three times before the end.  Television  The rule of three or ‘threefold law’ in modern-day witchcraft was front and centre in Charmed, with three key characters (even when Shannon Doherty exited the show in season three): the three Halliwell sisters, who used their magical \'power of three\' to fight supernatural baddies.   I’m including Schitt’s Creek in this list because: a.) it’s brilliant; b.) Moira Rose’s iconic ‘Sunrise Bay’ triple-slap is funnier than the Three Stooges’; and c.) there is even an episode called ‘The Throuple’, where David, Stevie, and Jake take their accidental dating triangle to its comical conclusion.   For anyone who watched The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s season one finale, the three Elven rings are another recent example.    How To Use The Rule Of Three  So, now we know why three is such a magic number: because it’s effective. But how do we use the rule of three in writing?   Here are three examples of how to use the rule of three:   Three-Act Structure  The simplest way to utilise the rule of three is with a three-act structure, which is a fancy way of saying your story should have a beginning to set things up, a middle for the confrontation of your central conflict, and an end where things are resolved. If you want to get technical, the three acts are as follows:  The first act begins with exposition (setting the scene), an inciting incident for the protagonist, and a turning point into act two.   Next comes the rising action, which leads into the story’s midpoint, as well as a turning point into act three; this is typically where the protagonist fails.   Finally, the last act follows with a pre-climax to build tension, before the actual climax, then denouement.   Example:   The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins has a compelling three-act structure: Katniss volunteers as tribute for the Hunger Games; the Games start; and Katniss wins and goes home (albeit to more potential danger).   Tip: A great way to weave complexity is to include three characters, who move through your acts together but with differing points of view. Which leads us to…   Three Point-Of-View Characters  Creating three characters who all experience the plot of your story in different ways, with differing opinions or agendas, can make for an exciting read. This is especially effective if each character gets a point of view (POV); adding a third character adds some nuance to a dual narrative. Example:   This was done incredibly well in Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone, which follows the POVs of protagonist Zelie, and siblings Amari and Inan. Outside of the book’s fresh concept and stellar execution, what makes this interesting is that one of the POV characters is ***SPOILER ALERT*** gravely injured in the finale.   Tip: Want even more complexity? Simply add a love triangle (and therefore conflict) between your three point-of-view characters. Stylistic Patterns  Finally, for the craft-lovers in our midst, there are also many ways to style your prose to incorporate the rule of three in writing. Stylistic patterns like a tricolon, hendiatris, or even something as simple as alliteration can be beneficial for your word choice.   Tricolon: This is when three words of a similar length or form are used as a means of emphasis or inspiration, frequently in political speeches.   Here’s an example from Barack Obama: ‘Our generation\'s task is to make these words, these rights, these values — of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — real’.  Hendiatris: Taking the tricolon a step further, hendiatris uses three words to communicate a core idea, again in speechwriting or marketing.   One of the biggest quotes of all time is Julius Caesar’s ‘Veni, vidi, vici’ or ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ in Latin, after triumphing over Pontius.   Alliteration: This is when words beginning with the same letter (or sound) are used in quick succession for aesthetic effect.  This often appears in lists or when three adjectives are used. ‘While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping’ from Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven nails it.   Tip: Don’t overdo it. Literary devices like these can easily err into the dreaded flowery or purple prose if you’re not careful, so use them wisely.   Frequently Asked Questions  What Is The Rule Of Three In Persuasive Writing?  The rule of three in persuasive writing goes back to ancient times with Rhetoric by Aristotle, a three-book treatise on persuasion. According to the Greek philosopher, the ability to persuade relies on three factors in rhetoric: ethos, the speaker’s character and credibility; pathos, the listener’s emotional state; and logos, the actual argument when proving something is true.   What Does The Rule Of Three Do To The Reader?  The rule of three in writing is a successful literary technique because it makes stories memorable, emotionally impactful, and persuasive for readers. Grouping things in threes leverages the power of repetition to aid memory; denote emotional intensity or importance; and ease persuasion (research by Shu & Carlson (2014) found that three positive claims is the most effective for persuasion).   Where Does The Rule Of Three Come From?  The earliest known example of the rule of three in writing is Aristotle’s Rhetoric. The ancient Greek philosopher argued not only for three means of persuasion — ethos, pathos, and logos — but also for three genres of public speech, with such speeches involving a speaker, a topic, and a listener (sensing a pattern?). The best part — Rhetoric was a three-book discourse.   Writing Engaging, Compelling, Unforgettable Stories As you’ve learnt throughout this article, the rule of three isn’t just a rule of thumb — it’s a writing principle that can make your stories more memorable, emotionally resonant, and persuasive. Give the rule of three a try and let us know how it helped you in your own writing!  

Suspense, action, and darkness are three crucial elements of a gripping thriller. This guide will take you through the various types of thrillers out there, from psychological to political, and give you some top tips to create your own edge-of-the-seat whirlwind thriller novel.   What Is A Thriller? Thriller novels are generally plot-driven narratives, with complex, morally grey characters, featuring suspense, action, and an exploration of the dark side of human nature. Good thrillers are pacy and tight, leading the reader through a twisty plot and building to a breakneck speed.   What Is the Difference Between Thrillers, Mysteries and Suspense Fiction?  There are many crossover elements between thrillers, mysteries and suspense fiction. Things they are likely to all have in common include:  A focus on building tension  A fast pace  A plot revolving around crime  However, there are key differences as well. While mystery novels use a central question or investigation to move the plot forward, paying off with a reveal at the end of whodunnit, the thriller genre may not hide who the villains and antagonists are; they may even be a central focus of the plot.   A suspense novel may have a similar focus, but it is driven by character rather than action. Many, or even most, thrillers will have chases, surprise attacks, and a race against time… while suspense novels are often ‘quieter’ and focused on the interior experience of the characters.    That’s not to say that thrillers cannot have shocking revelations or complex characters! Let’s have a look at the different types of thrillers below.  Types Of Thrillers Psychological Thriller Along with action adventure and crime, psychological thrillers are one of the most well-recognised thriller subgenres. Psychological thrillers are focused on the inner lives of characters who find themselves drawn into dangerous and threatening situations, either through chance or through a personality flaw or obsession.   Her, Mira V. Shah’s upcoming domestic suspense debut, perfectly encapsulates the approach of having an obsession spiral out of control, which is so often taken in psychological thrillers. Rani’s obsession with her neighbour Natalie’s apparently perfect life escalates until both women’s lives are inextricably intertwined, and Rani has discovered that Natalie’s life might not be quite as idyllic as it seems. The tension and conflict that the two face provides the kind of gripping narrative that thrillers do so well, as the novel builds towards its inescapable conclusion.   Supernatural Thriller Supernatural thrillers are having a bit of a heyday recently, popularly revived as they have been by the Duffer Brothers’ wildly successful Netflix series, Stranger Things.   Drawing heavily on classic supernatural thrillers by writers such as Stephen King, Stranger Things fits well in this subgenre with its evocation of fear, tension and dread. Supernatural thrillers often contain elements of other genres, such as science-fiction, fantasy, horror, and the gothic. Threats in supernatural thrillers are often unknowable creatures, who cannot be reasoned with or understood from a human perspective, resulting in situations where the dread is turned up to 11 as the main characters battle forces that they can barely comprehend.   Political Thriller The essential ingredient of a political thriller is high stakes and plot twists. Many lives are at risk. High-level political figures are personally threatened. Often the protagonist is alone or becomes so – stripped of support, they must survive and defeat the antagonist(s) based on their wits and guts.  Stacey Abrams, best known for her political career in the United States, has also written a number of books under the pseudonym Selena Montgomery. Her most recent book, however, a political thriller titled While Justice Sleeps, is her first work of fiction published under her own name. The story follows law clerk Avery, who is plunged into a world of intrigue and conspiracies after her boss, a high-level judge, slips into a coma and leaves her in charge of his affairs. The stakes couldn’t be higher as the trail takes Avery all the way to the top, with elements of mystery and suspense coming in as she discovers the truth behind one of the judge’s most high-profile cases.   Action-Adventure Thriller Like political thrillers, action-adventure thrillers are high-paced, high-stakes, and high drama. Expect plenty of action set pieces, like chases, fights, and explosions (and more, averted at the last possible moment).   An example of this type of thriller is The Ninja Daughter, by Tori Eldridge. Lily Wong is a Chinese-Norwegian woman whose purpose in life is to defend abused women and children. The novel is full of thrills and action, including fight and chase scenes, with a central mystery that builds to an explosive climax. Cleverly riffing on the noir genre, Eldridge gives us a modern twist on the ‘femme fatale’ character, and this action thriller is full of excitement and tension.   Crime Thriller A crime thriller is a subset of the crime genre, and, along with the typical elements of a focus on crime and the subsequent investigation, has the exciting elements of a thriller, with conflict and tension fuelling the pace of the narrative. Legal thrillers are also part of the crime thriller subgenre, and they emphasise courtroom proceedings and the legal aspects of crime. Girl Zero, A. A. Dhand’s gritty and at times bleak crime thriller, utilises the central investigative element by having his main character, D. I. Harry Virdee, hunt for the murderer of his niece. The thriller element is brought in with the pacing, as Harry and his gangster brother have to race against time to stop a child trafficking gang.   Investigative Thriller Although this type of thriller may seem very similar to crime thrillers, the key difference is that the character leading the investigation is not from a traditional investigative background. While a crime thriller will typically have a protagonist who is a police officer, or attached to the police in some manner, an investigative thriller will likely have someone pursuing the truth from a more unconventional angle.   Dark Pines is the first of Will Dean’s Tuva Moodyson series, about a Deaf journalist in a small Swedish town who is drawn into a decades-old mystery when two hunters are found, murdered in a manner similar to an unsolved case from long ago. There is plenty of tension as Tuva grapples with the various conflicting loyalties of the villagers, as well as her desire to write the story of her career and break free from the life she feels trapped by.   Spy Thriller Twists and turns are the name of the game in spy thrillers, where the central character is often at the centre of a web of lies, deceit and cover-ups at the highest levels. Expect plenty of thrilling chase scenes, explosive conflicts, and death-defying escapes in this type of thriller, as well as continual surprises as motivations and loyalties are uncovered.   One of John Le Carré’s best-known spy thrillers is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, his 1974 novel starring his recurring character George Smiley. Smiley’s job in this book is to uncover a Soviet double agent within the British intelligence service. The trail leads him through twists and turns, through which almost no one can be trusted completely. There is plenty of elegantly executed suspense in Le Carré’s work, and a complex plot that is set against the background of a waning empire, nicely dovetailing with his ageing protagonist. Both provide additional tension as the plot is eventually untangled and the secrets Smiley has been chasing are exposed.   Historical Thriller Historical settings might be as far back as medieval times, as in Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, or as recently as a few decades ago, like the TV series Life on Mars. These settings are often excellent for increasing tension, as modern sleuthing methods like CCTV and digital databases are non-existent, and characters may have to battle against limiting social roles as well.   A recent excellent historical novel is The Confessions of Frannie Langton, by Sara Collins. There are many thriller elements to this historical narrative, as the central character is on trial for a crime she cannot remember committing. As the child of an enslaved woman and her enslaver, Frannie is in a difficult social position. Although she is educated, she is also subject to the limitations and prejudices of racism, which impact how likely it is that her story will be believed. The historical setting of Collins’ novel allows her to delve into the dark side of humanity, as we also expect from thrillers. How To Write A Thriller So, how do you go about writing a good thriller? Looking at all the different types above, we can see that there are some commonalities among them that thriller writers should know.  1. Start With A Moment Of Change  Let us join your character at a moment of change in their life: whether that be a dramatic, explosive one (they’re hanging off a building! They’re chasing a suspect! They’ve been betrayed!) or a quiet, interior one (they’ve realised they’ve been mistaken about a small but crucial detail about their job/loved one/life), a character’s life is most interesting when it takes a turn.   2. Know What’s At Stake  It’s important early on that your readers know why your character’s goal is so important to them. If your character is working to uncover the truth about a murder, what is their personal connection to it? It simply being their job to investigate it isn’t quite enough. Perhaps it has some personal resonance with them due to a past experience, or there is a family or community connection. Perhaps they need to prove themselves in some way. Maybe there is a time pressure – thrillers often feature characters who have to race against time to solve something. Whatever the stakes are, make them personal in some way to your character.   3. Ensure We Care About The Characters  Some stakes are very high and quite abstract – saving a building/city/country. Giving the character a loved one who is also personally at risk in some way helps to make this threat immediate and personal and contextualises the larger threat. Equally, your character must be vulnerable in some way. As exciting as it is to read about a dapper hero skilfully knocking out bad guys, it becomes dull if there is no sense of personal danger to the character. Giving them something they love that is at risk is a good way to make them vulnerable, and ensure that the reader cares about them, too.  4. Gradually Increase The Suspense  Continually amp up the tension by gradually increasing the threat that the character faces. These threats can also be made more daunting if your character has few resources to work with – taking these away over the course of the narrative will enable you to ratchet up that edge-of-your-seat feeling that you want your readers to have! Keep your readers guessing. 5. Make Limitations Work For You  Whether it be something intrinsic to the setting, such as a lack of modern policing technology; something external to the character, such as social attitudes or previous attributes being withdrawn (think of those ‘you’ve gone too far, hand in your gun and your badge’ scenes); or something that rises from the characterisation itself, such as physical injuries or psychological states, limitations are key to stacking the odds against your protagonist.  6. Build Up To The Climax  Stacking the odds even higher is an excellent way to build to a climax. Your character should encounter ever-more daunting challenges, and be gradually stripped of help and resources until they are faced with overcoming something that seems insurmountable. Your reader won’t be able to put your story down!  7. Ensure The Ending Is Satisfying   A satisfying ending might come from a crime being solved - the perpetrators brought to justice. Or it might be a disaster averted, the day saved, the love interest suitably impressed. It might also be a situation where justice is not served, and the outcome isn\'t entirely what the character wanted. The satisfaction then comes from character development and the emotional arc of the protagonist, who has gone through trials and come out changed in some way. Although they might not have won the war, a personal victory will leave your reader satisfied with the journey.   Thriller Writing Tips These are our top tips for writing thrillers. Plot Twists. All should not be as it first seems: perhaps friends are not to be trusted, and rivals become allies. Perhaps your character’s understanding of the world is radically changed in some way with the discovery of key information.   All Is Lost. At some point, your character should be faced with their dark night of the soul – it will seem as though their goal will never be met, their resources are gone, and their life has changed for the worse. Bringing your character back from their personal abyss makes the ending that much more satisfying.   Play With Expectations. Much of the fun of a thriller is the unexpected elements of the plot. Embrace this by playing with your readers’ expectations. It might sound far-fetched for the hero of a spy thriller to be a Scottish granny, but Christopher Brookmyre made it happen in All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye!  Frequently Asked Questions What Are The Key Elements Of A Thriller? Suspense, action and darkness are key elements in a thriller. Your readers expect thrills, tension, conflict, and an exploration of the darker side of human nature.  What Is The Structure Of A Thriller? A gripping thriller follows the classic three-act structure. In the first act, the character is introduced, and the plot is set up. The second act adds complications, and the character suffers failures but also gets closer to their goal. The third act is the final showdown – the character is faced with defeating someone or something, and they may or may not be victorious in the way they originally imagined.   What Makes A Thriller successful? Thrillers do just that – thrill. Readers want to be gripped, enthralled, fascinated, and horrified; they want to root for the success of the protagonist against all the odds. They want exciting events, overwhelming opposition, and a narrative that draws to a satisfying conclusion.   Writing Thrillers As we have seen in the various types of thrillers we’ve looked at, there are many thriller elements in lots of different types of narratives. Even if you’re not setting out to write a traditional thriller, you can still utilise a lot of the genre\'s elements in domestic suspense, historical fiction, and crime writing. Including the key thriller elements of suspense, action and darkness will add another dimension to any story, and provide your readers with a popular narrative style that will keep them gripped until the last page.